Snoring is not uncommon in people of all ages, even preschoolers. Although you can most likely rule out some of the reasons adults snore, such as drinking alcohol, other underlying causes could be to blame. The solution to stop the snoring depends on the condition causing it. You can wait some of the problems out, but others need action.
Sleep Apnea
Apnea, or pauses in your child's breathing during his sleep, is one reason behind a preschooler's snoring, the parenting websites Kids Health and Healthy Children point out. Although occasional breathing pauses during sleep are normal for people of every age, a pause caused by something obstructing your child's airway, or obstructive apnea, is not. Between 1 and 3 percent of preschoolers suffer from the condition, Kids Health notes. Obstructive apnea can also lead to restless sleep and labored breathing during sleep, or your child could end up in a variety of unnatural sleeping positions. The solution to obstructive apnea is to keep your child's airway open during his sleep; a doctor may surgically remove whatever is blocking the airflow or you can using a nose mask that puts pressure on the airway to keep the air flowing.
Enlarged Adenoids
Enlarged adenoids are another reason for a preschooler's snoring, according to both Kids Health and Healthy Children. Adenoids are clumps of tissue at the top of the throat that help prevent children from getting sick. They can become enlarged for short periods when your child is suffering from an infection or a cold, Healthy Children states. Temporary enlargement is not a concern as long as the adenoids return to their normal size. Adenoids that continually swell can become a problem and even lead to infections. Other symptoms of enlarged adenoids include very loud breathing during the day, as if the child has a stuffy nose or is breathing through her nose rather than her mouth. Surgery to remove the enlarged adenoids is often the solution.
Other Recommendations
A few other conditions can lead to snoring, Kids Health says, some of them temporary and others ongoing. An allergy, either seasonal or from dust or another substance, can lead to snoring because it stuffs up the nose. You can take care of that problem with an allergy treatment recommended by your doctor, or by removing the offensive object if it's a pillow or a dusty stuffed animal. Colds, sinus infections or a deviated septum can also lead to snoring--the former treated by medications, and the latter often needing surgery. Overweight people also have a tendency to snore because their air passages are narrower than needed. When they lose weight, they also often lose the snoring.
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