Sleep is essential for your little one’s growth, development, and mood. It’s also not just about how long your child sleeps, but how well they sleep. If your baby or toddler is breathing through their mouth while sleeping, it could be affecting the quality of their sleep.
Let’s explore how mouth breathing affects sleep and why it happens.
What Is Mouth Breathing And Is It A Problem?
Babies are naturally nose breathers. Their little airways are designed for quiet, efficient breathing through the nose, especially during feeding and sleep. When your child starts breathing through their mouth, especially at night it can be a sign that you may want to explore the possible reasons. While an occasional open mouth moment can be perfectly normal, persistent mouth breathing in babies and toddlers might be worth a closer look. Of course if they’ve got a cold and the mouth breathing is temporary this is completely normal and will usually pass.
Mouth breathing during sleep can cause:
- Snoring
- Dry mouth and cracked lips
- Frequent night wakings or restlessness
- Tiredness in the daytime even though they’ve slept for a long time, this can be especially visible in toddlers/preschoolers with their behaviour
- Potential long term effects on jaw and facial development
Why Is My Baby or Toddler Mouth Breathing?
There are several reasons why your child may rely on mouth breathing, especially at night:
- Nasal congestion (cold, allergies, or dry air)
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids (blocking airflow)
- Dummy or thumb use affecting oral posture
- Habitual breathing pattern after illness
- Tongue tie which doesn’t allow the tongue to sit on the roof of the mouth. When the tongue sits on the roof of our mouth it activates our vagus nerve which is in charge of lots of things including our bodies rest and digestion.
Let’s take a closer look at that last one.
What Is Tongue Tie, And How Can It Affect Sleep?
Tongue tie occurs when the strip of tissue under the tongue is too tight, short, or thick, restricting the tongue’s movement. While it’s often discussed in terms of feeding challenges, it can also impact how a baby breathes and sleeps.
When the tongue is tethered, it can’t properly rest on the roof of the mouth, which is critical for:
- Supporting proper nasal breathing
- Developing a wide, open airway
- Encouraging healthy jaw and palate growth
If the tongue can’t function properly, your child may compensate by mouth breathing especially during sleep.
Red flags of tongue tie + mouth breathing:
- Clicking sounds or difficulty during feeding
- Windy or colicky behaviour
- Open mouth posture, even when resting
- Snoring or noisy breathing at night
- Feeding slowly or fatigue during feeding
- Speech delays as they grow
How It Impacts Sleep
A restricted tongue can subtly shift how your child breathes at night. Instead of comfortably breathing through the nose with the tongue sealed to the palate, the mouth stays open. Over time, this can lead to:
- Restless sleep
- Snoring or mild sleep disordered breathing
- Daytime fatigue or crankiness
What You Can Do as a Parent
If you suspect your baby or toddler is mouth breathing, you’re not alone and there’s support.
Here’s your action plan:
Observe sleep closely – Note any snoring, mouth breathing, or restless sleep.
Check oral posture – Does your child often sleep with their mouth open? Is the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth?
See your doctor to get an evaluation from a tongue tie practitioner, a paediatric ENT or a paediatric osteopath to try to understand the cause of the mouth breathing, these experts can assess for tongue tie and airway development.
Create a sleep-friendly environment – A humidifier adds moisture to the air and helps to keep nasal passages clear.
Support nasal breathing – Using saline drops and a bulb syringe can help to reduce congestion.
Final Thoughts
We believe that every baby deserves the best possible start to life and that begins with restorative, healthy sleep. If your baby or toddler’s mouth breathing at night is persistent, it’s worth taking a closer look.
