These days, parenting can be difficult. Finding the most recent child-rearing advice to follow might be challenging given the constant barrage of information available online. Everyone was concerned last year when some information regarding the dangers of toddlers breathing through their mouths while sleeping was disseminated on social media. The information attributed night mouth breathing to anything from obesity to daytime hyperactivity. What exactly is the threat, and what is the whole truth? It turns out that mouth breathing while sleeping can be quite harmful to your health, but there are solutions available.

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A child's mouth being open as they sleep can happen for a variety of reasons. Nasal congestion is the main cause. The inability to breathe through your nose might be a problem when you have a cold or allergies. Additionally, oversized tonsils may block the airway to the point where mouth breathing is the quickest way to breathe enough oxygen. Mouth breathing can also be caused by asthma or other respiratory problems. Of course, one must breathe via their lips when coping with these unpleasant conditions or symptoms.

Two other reasons a person’s mouth is open during sleep are persistent thumb sucking or a tongue-tie. Thumb sucking for comfort is a common behavior in babies, but when this behavior is prolonged into childhood, it causes the child’s mouth to hang open during sleep, possibly out of habit.

Tongue-tie is more physiological. A tongue-tie is essentially a tight connection of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. This connection doesn’t allow full mobility of the tongue and often leads to breastfeeding problems in infants. The position of the tongue has a huge impact on mouth breathing, and people with tongue-ties cannot control the position of their tongue properly. This can be remedied by a simple outpatient surgery and follow up oral exercises.

In short, yes. Mouth breathing at night can be a major contribution to sleep apnea issues. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that contributes to chronic fatigue. When a person has sleep apnea, it means they are gasping for air through their mouths at night, partially waking them up, even if they don’t realize it. People with sleep apnea have trouble getting enough calm and well-rested sleep. This lack of sleep impacts all of your daily activities and your overall health. In children, this leads to trouble concentrating at school and possibly poor performance.

So how can you help someone to stop mouth breathing at night? There are a few simple tools that are safe and easy.

1. Make sure your child is breathing through their nose during the day.

Sometimes the habit of mouth breathing can carry over into the daytime. So if they are watching TV or reading a book with their mouth hanging open, gently remind them to close it.

Slouching may cause the face to jut forward unnaturally and can also be a signifier of mouth breathing. Ask your child to stand or sit up straight.

Nasal congestion is the most common reason for mouth breathing. If your child is sick, it’s a good idea to prop their heads up with some pillows at night to help with drainage to keep their airways clear. Side sleeping is also beneficial to those children who tend to mouth breathe.

A comprehensive dental examination might help identify the problem if you suspect that your child breathes at night via their mouth. A dentist can also recommend suitable equipment for your child, such as customized mouth guards that can treat nocturnal mouth breathing. Additionally, they can recommend any procedures that might be beneficial, such as releasing a lingual frenulum (tongue tie). You can contribute to your child's improved health throughout their life by encouraging them to sleep through the night.