Enlarged tonsils in child with obstructive sleep apnoea. See Acknowledgements for this photo.

When someone falls asleep, the muscles of the throat relax and the airways at the back of the nose and in the throat become narrower. This can cause snoring or noisy breathing. Although noisy breathing during sleep is common in children, it may be a sign that the child is having difficulty breathing. In young children, the tonsils and adenoids may grow to be quite large, and this can contribute to narrowing of the airway during sleep. 

 

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition where narrowing of the airways at the back of the nose and in the throat during sleep is enough to cause a child to have difficulty breathing or pauses in their breathing. The child will then wake up briefly because they cannot breathe properly, often with a loud gasp or snort. These episodes can happen many times through the night and the disturbed sleep can result in changes in behaviour during the day such as sleepiness, hyperactivite behaviour, impulsivity, poor attention and difficulty learning at school.

How can I tell if my child might have obstructive sleep apnoea?

• being overweight or obese as these children are at greater risk than children of normal weight
• restlessness during sleep (moving around the bed a lot)
• short pauses in breathing - although the chest is moving, no air is moving through the nose and mouth
• mouth breathing when asleep or awake - the passage to the nose may be completely blocked
• daytime sleepiness or irritability (because the quality of sleep is poor)
• hyperactivity during the day

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