A child sleeps with his mouth open for a number of specific reasons. Although this is not unusual, many mothers become overly worried about it. Usually newborns sleep on blue. If you do not swaddle him tightly, you can pay attention to how his arms and legs are bent. Repeating the fetal position, he pulls his legs towards his stomach and presses his hands to his cheeks. Only after six months will the baby be able to completely relax in the crib and spread his limbs to the sides.
Important! If the baby’s mouth is closed during sleep, then the air warms up and is cleared of dust in the nasopharynx, and the lungs are ventilated, and the blood is saturated with oxygen at this time. If your baby breathes through his mouth, the air coming in is too cold. This leads to respiratory diseases. If plant pollen gets on the mucous membrane, the oral cavity will feel dry, and allergic reactions may occur.
When you see that a child is sleeping with his mouth open, take a closer look at this phenomenon and try to eliminate it. Do not listen to the stories of your relatives and friends who say that such a phenomenon is not incorrect. Such a small thing can lead to serious problems in the future. The baby may develop a bad habit of breathing through the mouth, which may result in hypoxia or anemia. While the child's mouth is slightly open, his head is thrown back. The tone of the circular muscles is thus in a weakened state, so the jaw may involuntarily drop. It is enough to place a small pillow under his head. The pillow can be replaced with a towel or sheet folded several times.
So why does a newborn sleep with his mouth open? This occurs due to a mucus-clogged nose. The baby's breathing will be difficult, and inhalation and exhalation will go through the mouth. Such children sleep restlessly, constantly cry and are nervous. When your baby breathes through his mouth, you may feel like he is choking. The fact is that breathing through the mouth is not inherent in the baby. They do not know how to switch to oral breathing in their sleep, so they will wake up and cry.
Mucus and crusts in the nasal passage appear due to the fact that dry or dirty air predominates in the room. Ventilate the room more often, do not forget to do this before going to bed without fail. During the heating season, use a humidifier. The hygiene of the child's nasal cavity must be closely monitored. The nasal passages are cleaned with cotton swabs or a syringe. Sea salt is used for this.
Important! If your child sleeps with his mouth open due to a stuffy nose, then your first priority should be measures to free up breathing. Contact your local physician who will prescribe treatment. These symptoms may occur due to acute respiratory infections or as a result of enlarged tonsils. If you follow all the doctors’ recommendations, you can significantly improve the baby’s well-being.
The problem was solved, but the baby still breathes through his mouth in his sleep? This problem can arise due to habit. If the baby is used to sleeping with her mouth open, then it is not surprising that she does not breathe through her nose even after treatment. Moms and dads will have to be patient and retrain the baby. It won't require much effort on your part. It is enough to purchase an elastic trainer or vestibular plate. Such devices are made of silicone. They allow you to normalize the muscle balance of the fringe area. They are used for one to two hours during the day or at night.
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Should parents be alarmed?
When you first notice that your child is sleeping with his mouth open, do not sound the alarm or panic. Quietly go to his crib and check how he is breathing. If the baby breathes through the nose, then everything is fine. But if you notice several times that your baby is breathing through his mouth, then contact a specialist for practical advice. Every responsible mother is attentive to her child. If you notice even the slightest change in his behavior, pay attention to finding out the reason for its occurrence.
Don't overdo it and don't panic ahead of time. Analyze the baby’s general behavior and compare it with external factors. If you see reason to panic, consult a doctor. Don't forget that your anxiety is the key to your child's health.
Parents often wonder why their child breathes through his mouth. This worries many, and for good reason. After all, the nose is designed for breathing, just as the mouth is for eating.
Impaired nasal breathing can lead to quite dangerous and irreversible health consequences, such as hypoxia (oxygen starvation), anemia, adenoids, colds, chronic fatigue, constant dryness and discomfort in the nasopharynx, recurrent cheilitis and many other troubles. The smaller the child, the more serious the consequences can be. Entering through the nose, the air is cleared of dust, warmed and moistened before entering the lungs. Breathing through the mouth does not allow the air to undergo such “preparation,” thereby disarming the baby’s respiratory system. Therefore, parents should take steps to identify and eliminate the causes of mouth breathing.
What to do?
First of all, you need to find out why you breathe through your mouth. Common causes of difficulty in nasal breathing include, for example, allergic rhinitis, enlarged adenoids, deviated nasal septum, and apnea. Also, temporary difficulties with nasal breathing occur due to a common cold.
If you know the reason why you breathe through your mouth, then you need to try to get rid of it. In the case of a common runny nose and nasal congestion, vasoconstrictor drops can be a temporary solution to the problem, however, it should be remembered that they cannot be dripped continuously for more than a week. Otherwise, addiction may occur and you will not be able to breathe normally without drops. People with allergies are often prescribed nasal drops containing hormones, which also helps improve nasal breathing. However, the main treatment should be to eliminate allergens as much as possible. In the case of a deviated nasal septum, surgical treatment is usually indicated. Enlarged adenoids and apnea are also treated surgically, but there are other ways to combat these diseases.
In general, the main thing is not to be idle! Contact your doctor to come up with a treatment plan together. And let breathing through your mouth and all the problems associated with it remain a thing of the past!
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What to do if a child breathes through his mouth?
The reasons may be as follows:
- The child has a cold and has a stuffy nose. This is the least of the problems. It is enough to provide competent treatment, sufficient temperature and humidity in the room so that the baby recovers quickly and normal nasal breathing is restored on its own.
- Incorrect head position during sleep. With their heads thrown back during sleep, children often breathe through their mouths. In this case, the problem can be solved simply: a comfortable pillow will help.
- Chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract: adenoids, chronic rhinitis, enlarged tonsils and tonsillitis. These reasons are more likely a consequence of disruption of normal nasal breathing. Eliminating them will require time, well-chosen treatment, and often surgical intervention in advanced forms of the disease. If these diseases are not treated, they will only get worse, leading to serious consequences for the child’s health.
How to wean a child from mouth breathing?
Often, after eliminating the causes that prevent a child from breathing through his nose, the habit of breathing through his mouth remains. Therefore, it is necessary to teach the baby nasal breathing again. In the absence of individual contraindications and pathologies, it is very effective to use a special elastic trainer and vestibular plate. These are simple but very effective remedies. When used 2 times a day and during night sleep, the tone of the circular muscles of the mouth increases and nasal breathing is restored.
Parents are concerned about the child’s condition and notice any little thing that appears on the baby’s body or behavior. What can we say about changes in breathing or sleep? Sometimes a mother may notice that her baby sleeps with his mouth open. This causes her serious concerns. Why does it happen that a newborn sleeps with his mouth open? Let's try to find out.
Why is your mouth open and how to avoid it?
The simplest and most common reason is an uncomfortable sleeping position. The baby's mouth may open slightly if the head is thrown back while resting. The tone of the circular muscles of the mouth is still weakened, so the jaw may involuntarily drop. It is enough to place a small pillow under your head. If you don't have one, a folded towel or flannelette diaper may work.
The second option: the baby’s nose is clogged with mucus, which makes breathing difficult. In this case, inhalation and exhalation occurs through the mouth. The child usually sleeps restlessly, is nervous, and cries. The fact is that mouth breathing is not typical for small children; with nasal congestion, it may seem as if they are suffocating, not being able to “switch” to the oral type of inhalation and exhalation in time.
An open mouth during sleep in a baby may be a sign of illness.
The reasons for the appearance of mucus or “crusts” in the nasal passage are excessive dryness of the air in the room, indoor air pollution (tobacco smoke, chemical odors, dust, etc.). Ventilate the room before going to bed, use a humidifier during the heating season and too hot summer days, be sure to monitor the hygiene of the child’s nasal cavity (clean the nasal passages with cotton swabs or a small syringe, use sea salt solutions).
We recommend reading: How to clean a newborn's nose?
If nasal congestion is caused by a cold or viral disease, then you need to contact your local physician, who will prescribe the most appropriate treatment option. With similar symptoms, diagnoses can be different: from a banal acute respiratory infection to enlarged tonsils, inflammation of the adenoids or chronic rhinitis. Strictly following the advice of a specialist will improve your well-being, but self-medication can lead to dire consequences...
The disease has been dealt with, but the baby still opens his mouth in his sleep? It is possible that due to long-term nasal congestion, the child has become accustomed to breathing through his mouth. Moreover, this can also manifest itself during wakefulness. Parents will have to retrain the baby so that he can return to proper breathing. Luckily, this isn't too difficult to do. It is enough to use an elastic trainer or vestibular plate several times a day. These soft silicone devices will help normalize the muscle balance of the prioral area. They are used for up to two hours during the day and all night.
Why does the mouth open?
The reasons why a baby sleeps with his mouth open may be quite harmless, but they cannot be ignored. If this habit is maintained for a long time, pathological conditions can develop:
- infection with respiratory or colds through household dust or inhalation of cold air;
- allergies due to contact of potential allergens with the mucous membrane;
- drying of the mucous membrane, deepening of the voice.
The first thing parents should do is go to the crib and listen to the breathing pattern. If the child snores slightly, then everything is fine. If this is not the first time he has slept with his mouth open, you should consult a doctor.
Why might the mouth be open during sleep?
- Uncomfortable position in which the baby lies. Most often this occurs on the stomach. Turn your baby over or place a small cushion under his head to adjust his position.
- There is dried mucus in the sinuses of the nose. This happens if the indoor air is too dry. Breathing through the mouth is not typical for a newborn, and he cannot always switch to it.
- The child got sick. If your baby has a cold or acute respiratory infection, you should definitely contact a pediatrician who will prescribe the appropriate treatment. It is not recommended to self-medicate, since the causes of a stuffy nose can be different: from ordinary hypothermia to adenoids and pneumonia.
It happens that the cause has already been eliminated, but the baby still continues to open its mouth during sleep. This may be due to a habit that he now needs to wean from. Elastic trainers are perfect for this purpose and will help restore muscle balance. You can use a vestibular plate. It will be enough to use these devices 2 hours a day and all night for several days.
The cause of the problem has been eliminated, but the baby is breathing through his mouth
It happens that the provoking factor in the form of a disease or allergy is eliminated, and breathing is carried out through the mouth. The baby does not remember how to breathe correctly. Inhalation of air through the mouth does not occur at night, not during rest - constantly. The task of parents is to teach the baby to breathe. For this purpose, special devices have been developed - trainers. The soft silicone base prevents injury to the mucous membrane. The trainer restores the functioning of the muscles of the nasolabial triangle.
List of used literature:
- Bishop DV, Anderson M, Reid C, Fox AM; Anderson; Reid; Fox (2011). Koenig, Thomas, ed. “Auditory development between 7 and 11 years: an event-related potential (ERP) study.” PLoS ONE
- Hu Z, Chan RC, McAlonan GM; Chan; McAlonan (2010). “Maturation of social attribution skills in typically developing children: an investigation using the social attribution task.” Behavioral and Brain Functions
- Stiles J, Jernigan TL; Jernigan (2010). “The basics of brain development.” Neuropsychology Review
What if a baby sleeps with his eyes open?
Sometimes parents may notice that the baby sleeps with his eyes open. This frightens and worries many. In medicine, this phenomenon is called lagophthalmos and is a pathology. During active stages of sleep, children may well sleep with their eyes open, and their eye sockets will move.
Sleeping with eyes open can last up to one and a half years. If the child is overtired, sleeping with his eyes open will be accompanied by screams and chaotic movements.
For children under 1.5 years old, sleeping with their eyes open is considered normal. But if you notice that a child after 2 years of age sleeps with his eyes open, you need to consult a doctor. Perhaps there are some physiological disorders in the body or underdevelopment of the eyelids.
Any deviations in the development or condition of the baby frighten parents. This is understandable, because they care about their child and worry about him. However, parents should get used to the fact that many things in a small child’s body are “structured” differently from those of adults, and are considered the norm. The main thing is not to miss the pathology behind this perception of unusual phenomena.
Nature has designed it so that a person can breathe both through the nose and through the mouth. However, the question is that the choice made by a person directly affects the state of his health.
Passing through the nasal passages, the air inhaled through the nose is warmed, moistened, and also cleared of dust. If a child often breathes through his mouth, he does not receive enough oxygen, normal blood gas exchange is disrupted, as a result of which the baby may experience anemia or chronic hypoxia. In addition, this direction of breathing on the street allows cold air to penetrate into the lungs, which leads to inflammation of the airways. In addition, if a child sleeps with his mouth open, all inhaled dirt and dust freely enters the lungs and the respiratory system remains defenseless, and the baby wakes up with a feeling of dry mouth and throat.
What to do if a child breathes through his mouth?
Initially, you need to find the reason, of which there are actually quite a few:
- One of the most common reasons why a child breathes through his mouth is the possibility that he or she has a cold. In this case, everything possible should be done so that the baby can restore his normal breathing as quickly as possible.
- If a child sleeps without a pillow and his head is thrown back, this can also cause the baby's mouth to open while sleeping. To solve this problem, it will be enough to simply place a small pillow under your head.
- However, sometimes the reasons may not be so harmless. Constantly impaired breathing may indicate the presence of certain diseases, such as chronic rhinitis, enlarged tonsils. But it should be noted that these diseases are more a consequence of impaired nasal breathing than the root cause and require special medical treatment.
What can be done in this situation?
If you notice that your child's mouth is open, then observe his behavior. First of all, try to independently identify the causes of this condition.
Monitor your breathing day and night, during sleep and activity. Make sure your baby's mattress and pillow allow him to sleep in a comfortable position.
Pay attention to your child's teeth and mouth. If you notice any warning signs, take your child to the dentist.
If a child has a cold, resulting in nasal congestion, the doctor will recommend vasoconstrictors. However, it should be remembered that they cannot be used for a long time, and they are generally contraindicated for the smallest children. Antibiotics can also only be prescribed by a doctor. They become necessary when diseases of the ENT organs are caused by pathogenic microorganisms. For allergic rhinitis, topical antihistamines are prescribed.
If you have any remaining doubts, visit your pediatrician, indicating the time of onset of the pathology and the results of your observation. He will examine the child and, if necessary, schedule a visit to a specialist.
If additional signs that worry the child are clearly visible, then immediately contact a dentist, ENT specialist or neurologist. Only a doctor will determine the exact cause and help get rid of the problem.
Many parents are constantly worried about the health of their long-awaited baby, especially if the child is the first-born in the family. They are often tormented by questions: does the baby cry too much, does he spit up often, is he gaining weight well, is he growing quickly, is he sleeping enough.
Healthy sleep, along with good nutrition, is vital for a person. This statement is doubly true when it comes to a little man. To ensure the harmonious development of the baby, it is necessary to establish a sleep schedule. A caring mother rocks her newborn for hours, listens to the breathing of the sleeping baby, and approaches the crib many times. It happens that a mother suddenly notices that the child is sleeping with his mouth open. The question inevitably arises in her mind: is this normal?
Sometimes newborns sleep with their head open, which greatly frightens young parents.
Some parents may immediately consult a doctor, while others will try to figure out why this is happening on their own. Advice from relatives and friends, online forums, and articles by the famous pediatrician Komarovsky come to the rescue. Often, loved ones try to allay the fears of new parents. Having heard that a friend’s child is also snoring funny with his mouth slightly open, the mother may lose her vigilance.
