My 11 Month Old Snores??

Updated on January 24, 2009
L.G. asks from Saint Paul, MN
13 answers

My daughter snores, a lot, every night, pretty much since she was born! At first we thought it was cute, thought it would pass, it just sounded like she was breathing loudly. Then it got more frequent, and louder. I meant to ask about it at her 6 month check up, but it wasn't as bad then and I forgot about asking. It seems like it has gotten worse in the last 5 months. At times she actually starts coughing/gagging from it! She has had 2 small colds, which made the snoring worse, but they only lasted a few weeks. We have a cool mist humidifier in her room, going full blast every night (our house is SO dry!) and we've tried things for colds, like Vicks. She is a persistent tummy sleeper, but also snores when on her side or back. For a time I thought it seemed like she did it when the house got colder at night, but raising the night temp didn't seem to help in the long run. I'm just wondering if any of you have any experience with this, any ideas to help her breath easier/better?? I've heard that snoring can be linked to apnea and things like that, which really concerns me! I will obviously ask about the snoring at her 1 year check up, but I'd like to be prepared for what the Dr may tell me...

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So What Happened?

We have an appointment for Wednesday afternoon with her Ped. Thank you for all the responses - seemed it was unanimous that she be seen by a doctor right away! We'll start with our Ped and see what she recommends from there. (and of course she hardly snored at all this weekend!)

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J.

answers from Omaha on

Maybe you should ask to get an xray of her adenoids. My daughter had enlarged adenoids and had them removed. It's like day and night. She can breathe so much better, therfore gets much better rest at night as well. I do know snoring is a major sign of large adenoids. Hope this helps. Good luck.

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C.G.

answers from Davenport on

My son was the same way (howvever he also had a lot of ear infections). After having his tonsils and adnoids out, he stopped snoring. I would ask your doctor at her 12 month check up for a referral to an ENT

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R.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

My 4 1/2 granddaughter just had her tonsils and adenoids removed this past fall. Ever since then she hasn't snored at all. Now her baby sister snores like a lumberjack so we know that she will have to have them out sometime....
BTW the doctor would not remove them until she was older....

Renee
WI

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S.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Good Morning L.~ My first thought was her tonsils or adenoids? I would definitely ask at her next appt or you could always call and talk to a nurse and see what they suggest. You could try propping one side of the mattress up at night. I have not personally had any experiences with this, sorry. Just some ideas.

Good Luck to you,
S.

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T.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I actually have sleep apnea and reading your description it sounds as though she may have it. It would also be beneficial if you were able to see an ENT to have her tonsils and Atnoids looked at. If they are enlarged or blocking her airway this can also cause the problem.

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C.D.

answers from Omaha on

Dear L..

My son had the same problem abt the same age. I would suggest making an appointment with your physician right away as our issue turned out to be recurrent throat infections which led to ear infection. During this time he never really complained that much or tugged at his ears or any of the normal warning signs. He ended up with scarlet fever at one point. It took 3 years of antibotics to finally get things under control and rid the infection from his body. Hope things will come out good for you.

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D.J.

answers from Des Moines on

A friend of mine had the same trouble with her little boy. His tonsils were huge which the dr thought was probably the problem. My daughters tonsils are big and she snores all the time, but it gets really bad when she has even a slight cold. We are probably going to have her tonsils removed when she turns 3. She is 2 1/2 now. She and my friends little boy have also had tubes put in their ears due to chronic ear infections. He had his tonsils out on his 2nd birthday and it was a very long two weeks, but now he sleeps a lot better. He used to get very moody during the day and we used to think that is just the way he was. Now he is such a happy kid with a normal sleep schedule. It's a very hard decision to take their tonsils. My daughter has had tonsilitis several times. I put it in her ENT doctors' hands that if he feels that she would sleep better and be healthier because of it then that is what we will do. Good Luck!

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M.O.

answers from Appleton on

Hi L.!

I am guessing she not only has huge tonsils, but adenoids as well. My son(who is now 28) had this when he was a boy. He never slept through the night he would tug at his ears. I took him into the Dr. three different times thinking he had an ear infection, nothing was ever wrong. He ended up getting his tonsils and adenoids out at that time. This was back in the 80's. They used to take out tonsils and adenoids all the time, then they went through a period when they didn't. Best to talk to an Otolarynologist. He can access the situation and let you know if she needs them taken out. My son was in first grade by the time we had it done. The tonsils are great bacteria catchers by the way. Not sure if they take them out now or not. Hope this helps. Mother of 3 grown men and a 7 year old girl!

Tracey
www.mymangosteen.com/fruitsolution

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N.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi, L.. I'd talk with your child's doctor and get a refferal for an ENT. We actually just did this with my 3 year old yesterday. We're going to meet with an ENT to get their opinion on whether whe needs her tonsils out. Good luck with it!

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K.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi L.,
Your daughter is pretty young, but it sounds very like tonsil and adenoid issues. I would take her to an ENT to check out her tonsils and adenoids. Sleep apnea caused by large tonsils and adenoids usually peaks around 3 to 4 years old, so if this is what it is, it may only get worse. Both of my kids had tonsils and adenoids removed because of this. My daughters at 3 1/2 years old.

We see Dr. Levinson. He is very good and does a "shave" technique with doesn't completely remove them, but "shaves" them down to a thin layer. The advantage to this is it doesn't expose the delicate muscles of the throat, causing less bleeding and a faster, less painful recovery.

Good luck,
K.

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R.G.

answers from Milwaukee on

Go to a Pediatric ENT to have her checked out. My daughter was the same way, and for 2 1/2 years our pediatrician MISSED the fact that her tonsils were so huge they fold down when she's in a deep sleep and block her airway despite the fact I asked about it at every appointment and even brought her in specifically for the loud breathing/snoring. (BTW she's never had strep throat or an ear infection so it was just the way her anatomy was). Her tonsils and adenoids were removed two weeks later and she's like a different kid. 11 months may be too young to remove them if that's the problem, but there's no reason you should have to wait until she's 3 or 4, our ENT never mentioned anything about her being too young. Best of luck, the 2 weeks of recovery aren't fun but it pays off afterward.

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H.C.

answers from Madison on

Your daughter probably has enlarged tonsils and or adnoids. They are located in the back of the throat and are usually what causes snoring and sleep apnea in children. My son is about to go in and have his removed on tuesday. He started off snoring then moved into sleep apnea which is terribly disturbing. I would take her in soon to have her tonsils and Adnoids looked at by her doctor and explain the snoring your hearing. Winter usually makes it worse, but trust me, you don't want to get to sleep apnea without talking to your doctor. Sleep apnea sounds like your child is suffocating in their sleep. The tonsils or adnoids can actually cut off air to the windpipe when the child relaxes. Your doctor will probably recommend you see a Pediatric ENT and it can take a while to get an appointment. Chronic sleep problems can create a whole host of other issues as well, behavior problems and immunity weakness.
My advice to you is to take her in now and not wait til her 1 year. I wish I had moved sooner. I ended up losing about a month of sleep listening to my son struggle to breath each night.
Good Luck!
H.

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A.B.

answers from Fargo on

Our first used to snore as well. I did ask about it, but the doctors weren't concerned with it. When she was at her 3 year check-up/well baby appointment, the doctor noticed a polyp on one of her tonsils. We went to an ENT(ear, nose, & throat doctor) who scheduled her to have her tonsils out and since they were already going to be in that area, they'd check her adenoids. Normally they do x-rays to determine if they need to do anything with the adenoids. After they got in there, they discovered that her adenoids were about 95% blocked which was causing her to snore. She's now the quieter sleeper of our 2 girls! The first few nights after we got her back home, I had to go in and check on her because it was too quiet! She also started to have dreams--she'd start crying after being asleep for about an hour every night, but she wasn't really awake, just dreaming and it must have scared her since she hadn't done that for the first 3 years of her life. I'd definitely ask the doctor at your next visit and see if he/she thinks you should go to a ENT doctor and have her adenoids checked out. They might not want to do anything until she's older, but definitely get them involved. In the end, she'll sleep tons better! :)

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