Some children have different sleep behavior from others. One of them is the child sleeping with his mouth open. Many parents worry about sleeping with their mouths open like this because it is not a natural way to breathe.
Sleeping with your mouth open every now and then is not dangerous. However, sleeping with your mouth open so your child breathes through your mouth can be a sign of difficulty breathing.
So, what causes children to sleep with their mouths open? Are children sleeping with their mouths open to be wary of? The following Thevolume.net summarizes the information, reported by MomJunction:
Accumulation of mucus
The accumulation of mucus in the child’s nose can clog the nostrils. This makes it difficult to breathe so the child sleeps with his mouth open.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes obstruction of the upper respiratory tract. There are various reasons that cause sleep apnea, such as inflammation of the tonsils, enlarged adenoids, to infection.
Children who have sleep apnea show symptoms such as snoring, restlessness, irregular breathing, and breathing through the mouth.
Septal deviation
The nasal septum is a thin wall of tissue, which divides the nose into two separate passages. When this septum tends to one side or changes shape, it makes nasal breathing difficult. This is what is known as a deviated septum.
As a result, the child breathes through the mouth.
This disturbed septal development can occur during the fetal stage, causing some babies to be born with this condition.
Allergies
The child can develop allergies that cause excessive mucus production. This excessive mucus production can contribute to a child’s nasal passages. One of the effects is that children sleep with their mouths open.
You can try to relieve your child’s breathing with a nasal aspirator to help your child breathe through the nose.
Habits
Children who experience the respiratory disease as a child usually have a tendency to sleep with their mouths open. This respiratory disease suffered by children as a child can develop the habit of breathing through the mouth.
If you notice your child is gasping for air or if mouth breathing seems to be interfering with his eating and sleeping, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor about this matter.
Hope this information is useful, Mom.
