Like thumb-sucking, nose-picking, and crawling to get around, snoring is one of those things that’s unattractive in an adult, but can seem impossibly cute when a baby does it. Unfortunately, snoring isn’t always as harmless as some of those other habits. Even when it’s tiny and cute, there’s the potential for snoring to be a sign of a sleep apnea or another breathing problem that could cause health problems stretching into school-age.
Most snoring is fairly harmless, if a little annoying, but it may sometimes also signal interrupted breathing, which can be dangerous. This is especially true if the snores are accompanied by a cough or wheezing. Snoring has also been linked to neural and behavioral problems, which may result from the disturbed sleep that many snorers have. When Baby is very little, most snoring is generally linked to how tiny his airways are, but as he grows, if his sleep doesn’t start to sound a little quieter, snoring happens regularly, or you can hear it disrupt his breathing, it could be a good idea to check in with Baby’s doctor.
Quick home remedies to try in the meantime to help clear out any obstructions in Baby’s airways include holding him in a steamy shower to help clean out his lungs, making sure the area around Baby’s bed isn’t dusty, and, if the doctor recommends it, clearing out his sinuses with a bulb syringe.
