{"id":135,"date":"2025-07-03T19:37:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T19:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mightymolarspediatricdental.com\/blog\/?p=135"},"modified":"2025-08-11T23:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:14:09","slug":"a-parents-guide-to-sleep-apnea-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mightymolarspediatricdental.com\/blog\/?p=135","title":{"rendered":"Little Snores, Big Clues: A Parent\u2019s Guide to Sleep Apnea in Children"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You may know someone who snores and has found out they have sleep apnea. It is more common in adults, but what if your child is the one who’s doing the noisy sleeping? Kids can have this condition, with about 7% to 11% of children having some form of nighttime breathing disorder. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the signs of pediatric sleep apnea<\/a>, so here is what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Does Sleep Apnea Occur in Kids?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sleep apnea is a condition that refers to when someone stops breathing during the night as they rest. It can happen for multiple reasons, such as the muscles in the throat relaxing and blocking the airway, or the brain not sending the right signals to regulate breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In children, the former reasoning, defined as obstructive sleep apnea, is the most common type due to larger-than-usual tonsils or adenoids (which are two small pads of tissue that are found in the back of their nose). Sometimes a tongue tie, which is when the tissue under the tongue is too tight or short, has been known to cause some problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, your child may have a higher risk of pediatric sleep apnea if it runs in the family, if they have a large tongue, or have certain medical conditions, such as Down syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should I Look Out for with Pediatric Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are signs that you should watch out for if you believe your child has this sleep disorder. Here are notable ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n