My Child Snores — Is That Normal?

Apr 7
4 min read

Updated: May 5

Jennifer DeJonge RDH myofunctional therapist working with child patient Oklahoma City

If your child snores, you've probably been told one of two things: it's normal, or they'll grow out of it. But here's what most parents aren't told — snoring in children is common, but it is not normal. And it is not something to wait out.

Snoring is a sign that something is interfering with your child's airway during sleep. It might be enlarged tonsils or adenoids, mouth breathing, low tongue posture, or a combination of all three. Whatever the cause, the airway is working harder than it should — and that effort has consequences for sleep quality, behavior, development, and long-term health.

The good news: once you know what's driving it, there's a clear path forward.

What Causes Snoring in Children?

Snoring happens when airflow is partially blocked during sleep. In children, the most common causes are:

Enlarged tonsils or adenoids — the most frequent culprit, especially in kids ages 3–7. When tonsils and adenoids are enlarged, they physically narrow the airway during sleep.
Mouth breathing — when a child breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, the tongue falls back toward the throat, further reducing airway space.
Low tongue posture — the tongue should rest on the roof of the mouth at all times, including during sleep. When it rests on the floor of the mouth instead, it contributes to airway collapse and snoring.
Allergies and congestion — chronic nasal congestion forces mouth breathing, which then triggers the chain of events above.
Obesity — excess tissue around the airway increases the risk of obstruction during sleep.

In many children, several of these factors are present at the same time — which is why snoring often persists even after tonsils are removed.

Signs That Your Child's Snoring Is a Problem

Jennifer DeJonge myofunctional therapist performing tongue evaluation on child patient

Snoring itself is the signal — but these signs tell you it's time to act:

Mouth open during sleep — lips not sealed, breathing audibly through the mouth
Restless sleep — tossing, turning, sweating, or sleeping in unusual positions (chin tilted up, neck extended) to open the airway
Pauses in breathing — gasping, choking, or silence followed by a loud snore (this is obstructive sleep apnea and warrants immediate evaluation)
Waking unrefreshed — your child slept 10 hours but still seems exhausted in the morning
Behavioral issues during the day — difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, irritability, or emotional dysregulation that worsens when sleep is poor
Dark circles under the eyes — a classic sign of chronically disrupted sleep
Mouth breathing during the day — if it happens at night, it's almost always happening during the day too

If your child shows three or more of these signs, a myofunctional evaluation is a logical next step — regardless of whether snoring has been evaluated by a physician yet.

Why "They'll Grow Out of It" Is the Wrong Answer

This is the most common thing parents are told — and it's the advice that delays treatment by years.

Children do not grow out of mouth breathing or low tongue posture on their own. Without intervention, these patterns become more established over time, not less. The longer they persist, the more impact they have on facial development, dental alignment, sleep quality, and behavior.

Here's what actually happens when snoring and mouth breathing go unaddressed:

The upper jaw narrows because the tongue isn't providing the outward pressure it's supposed to during development
Teeth crowd because there isn't enough arch space
The face develops a longer, narrower pattern — sometimes called "adenoid face"
Sleep quality deteriorates, affecting focus, mood, growth hormone release, and immune function
The child ends up in orthodontic treatment — sometimes multiple rounds — without anyone addressing why the teeth keep moving back

Waiting is not a neutral choice. Every year of untreated mouth breathing is a year of development happening without proper airway support.

What to Do If Your Child Snores

Jennifer DeJonge RDH evaluating child patient for myofunctional therapy Oklahoma City

Start with these steps:

1. Watch and document. Video your child sleeping — even 30 seconds on your phone. Capture the mouth position, any pauses in breathing, and body position. This is invaluable information for any provider you see.

2. Rule out obstruction. If you haven't already, have your child evaluated by a pediatrician or ENT for enlarged tonsils and adenoids. If obstruction is present, addressing it is the first step. But know that surgery alone often doesn't resolve mouth breathing — the habit and muscle patterns need retraining too.

3. Get a myofunctional evaluation. A myofunctional evaluation looks at tongue posture, lip seal, nasal breathing patterns, and swallowing function — the underlying muscle patterns that drive mouth breathing and snoring. It takes about an hour and gives you a clear picture of what's contributing to the pattern and what needs to change.

4. Don't wait for a referral. You don't need a doctor's referral to see a myofunctional therapist. If you've noticed the signs, you can reach out directly.

How Myofunctional Therapy Helps with Snoring

Myofunctional therapy addresses the muscle patterns that make mouth breathing and snoring the default. Through targeted exercises and habit retraining, therapy works to:

Establish nasal breathing as the resting pattern — day and night
Retrain tongue posture so the tongue rests on the palate, supporting the airway during sleep
Strengthen lip seal so the mouth stays closed at rest without effort
Correct the swallowing pattern that develops alongside mouth breathing
Coordinate with your child's dentist, orthodontist, or ENT so treatment works together rather than in isolation

Most children begin to show meaningful improvement within the first 4–6 weeks. A full program typically runs 12–14 sessions and is available in person in Oklahoma City or virtually throughout Oklahoma.

Snoring is not something your child has to live with. And it's not something to wait out.