When you're a new parent, every little thing your baby does is cute. The smiles you get while they're sleeping are adorable, and so are the little noises they make. But if you've noticed your little one is letting out a snore every now and then, you may wonder, "why is my baby snoring?" There are a variety of factors that can contribute to it, some more serious than others.
For one, it could just be a normal part of their development. According to Parenting, babies tend to have narrow airways that are filled with secretions. The snoring sounds you hear, the article explained, are produced by the vibrations of the soft tissues in the nose and from the air passing through the moist airways. However, Parenting noted that as the baby grows and develops, this noisy breathing will subside.
If the snoring is caused by moist airways, there are things you can do to help your baby sleep more and snore less. The New Kids Center recommended using saline nasal drops for a stuffy nose, using a humidifier to moisten up a dry, clogged nose, and getting rid of any allergens in the baby's room, like pet dander or dust. If your baby's nose is full of gooey stuff, you can also use a nasal aspirator to pull it out.
As your baby gets older, and you notice that their snoring is still persistent, there may be an underlying cause. According to the Alaska Sleep Clinic, the leading cause of snoring in older children is enlarged tonsils and adenoids which can contribute to sleep apnea. They further noted that a deviated septum — where the the airways are offset, making one nostril smaller than the other — or Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are also potential causes of snoring in children.
If your baby is snoring, the best thing to do is to talk to your pediatrician who can give you the proper evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment options. Having your pediatrician on board can help your baby get to a peaceful sleep (and then maybe you can get some, too).
