3.5 Year Old Snoring

I had a friend who's daughter went though what you are talking about, she was even sleep walking. I recommend getting a 2nd opinion about his adnoids or tonsils. My friends daughter had both removed at 7 years of age, and now sleeps much better.

My 5 year old son just had his tonsils & adnoids removed and ear tubes put in last week (Feb 12th) What a difference already.

Not only did he have sleep apnea but dental problems as well. What a difference, now my husband can't sleep because he can't hear him anymore!

He's recovering good and should be back to school Monday. He's been really good and not complaining too much about pain.

He had his done at Children's in Waltham by Dr. Jones, he stayed over night (with my husband) they were wonderful there! good luck

My son is using the Breathe Right breathing strips for his daughter at night and he says that it seems to help her snoring.

Snoring is not normal, take your child to an ENT MD to be evaluated, he may just need a decongestant vs surgical intervention. Make sure you see a pediatric ENT and not one who just see adults. Good luck.

Go to an ENT( Ear Nose and Throat physian). My oldest who is now 7,went through that at the same age and it turned out that his Tonsils and Adenoids were huge. The night after the surgery he stopped snoring and he was a happier kid because he was getting more oxygen. The recovery is rough. He was very incomfortable for several days, but it was worth it.
Good Luck!

I suggest having him evaluated by a sleep specialist and the ent. he might need his tonsils out, but I recommend at least seeing the sleep specialist first, before having any surgeries. good luck.

My son also had trouble sleeping through the night. He would also snore very loud and I don't know if he would wake himself up or not be getting enough air. We consulted an ear, throat and nose spec when he was 2. They removed his adenoids (which they said were very large) and his sleep did improve. He is 4.5 years old now and still wakes up a few times a week, but I think more out of habit now than an actual problem. The surgery took about 1.5 hours, and the recovery was quick. How do you keep an active boy quiet? They will only push themselves as much as they can anyway. I feel that you have nothing to loose by going to see an ent. Good luck!

My nephew also had a similar problem. It took about a year and a half of loud snoring for the pediatrician to finally send him to a specialist, who decided a week into kindergarten that it was time to have his tonsils out. It was not too bad trauma wise (outpatient surgery) and his recovery was a few days. I think the worst was that the doctor waited until AFTER he started school, so my nephew felt like he was missing something after being out all week! The principal even called to see if he was skipping school...in kindergarten!

Hi
My daughter was getting ear infections just about every other week. She was also a snorer. She had tubes put in her ears and had her adnoids taken out because they were so big they were blocking her nose and the fluid from draining from her ears. She still snores but usually only if she has a cold like most people do. She also can hear much better now that her ears aren't full of gunk. The operation took about 45min to an hour and the recovery was a couple days. It really wasn't bad. I suggest that you stress the fact to you ped. the snoring and maybe aslo have them check the ears and/or tonsils. Good Luck!

E.N.T is the way to go here. My son was three when I asked his pediatrician when he would actually sleep through the night. We were referred to his specialist (he was born with immature vocal chords). Dr. Snyder informed me that Keenan was breathing at less than 50% capacity due to enlarged adnoids and tonsils. They were removed and he slept for the first week like I'd never seen him. Second week he was finally able to go through the "normal" night tremors. The surgery was brief and he recovered quickly. I think the whole ordeal was harder on me. When he gets home food that is easy to swallow is the best. I gave him soups and ice cream. For the first 24 hours he wasn't able to hold food down, when I called the doctor I was informed to open a can of fruit and give him a teaspoon of the fruit juice every 15 minutes. If he was able to hold that down to then give him two teaspoons every 15 minutes. Slowly his body was able to hold this in and he was eating in no time (by the way, this really works even when they're just plain sick. Better than pedialite).

I would take your son to an ENT (Ears,Nose, Throat) specialist. My daughter had her tonsils and adenoids out when she was 5. It made a world of difference! Not only did she get a better quality of sleep, it helped with some behavior issues. It is hard to be good when you are tired and cranky. A family friend's daughter was 18 months (I think) when she had it done. With the same results. The surgery was harder for on my husband and myself, than it was on her. A week of rest was all she needed. It is better to have that type of surgery when you are younger than older. My hubby had the same surgery (tonsils and adenoids) a few months later and he was a bear.

My son was a very heavy snorer and did not sleep through the night. He was also a very restless sleeper. At 2.5 yrs old he had his adnoids out which did not make much difference. After having his adnoids removed, he went to a pulmonary specialist and spent a night at the sleep lab. He was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (but a mild case) and we decided to have his tonsils removed. The surgery and the recovery were very difficult but it has been the best thing for him. He is not snoring at all now and he sleeps restfully through the night. He had the surgery in November (he was 4yrs old). His mood is better during the day and he does not have dark circles under his eyes. I only wish we did the tonsils at the same time as the adnoids 2 yrs ago.

Well, you've already got this advice, but definitely address this issue. My son had his tonsils and adenoids out at four and he has been a much better sleeper since. We were hoping it would take care of his behavior issues (he is six now and has been dx'd with ADHD) but no luck there. I think some pediatricians are in the mind-set that the tonsils will most likely shrink as he gets older and the snoring will subside - problem is that is most likely not to happen for a couple of years and that is causing him some major sleep deprevation which could effect his development. If you are with an insurance that requires you to be referred by a PCP to see a specialist - keep on your physician about it. If not - go right to the ENT on your own. And as everyone else has mentioned - the surgery isn't fun but it's not the worst either.

My son was a snorer when he was younger. But, he also had constant sore throats, and at one point was having a hard time swallowing different foods, too. At age 5 he had his tonsils and adnoids out. IT WAS THE BEST THING WE EVER DID! Since then (he is now 11)he has not had any snoring (only if he gets a cold - and they are frequent, and when he gets a cold, the throat issues that use to exist, don't.

I had a hard time to get the dr. to realize that he needed his tonsils out, almost a year. I actually had to ask a different dr. in the practice when I had my son there for a "sick visit". When you go to an Ear, Nose, Throat Dr., they will know what needs to be done.

Be persistent!!!!!!!! No child should snore that way. My husband and I have enjoyed a lot quieter nights!

Good luck.

My son and grandson also snored a lot. I would suggest that you see if he has sleep apnea. Also a nose ans throat specialist would be of great value. The fact thathe is not sleeping well makes me wonder if he is losing his ability to breathe right. Getting enough oxygen? As this child ages, it would get worse and really interrupt his education.
My son had his tonsils and adinoids removed and my grandson had surgery too.
For your peace of mind and your child's health, at least get it checked into.
Hope things improve.
J.

Hi

It is very important that you bring your child to an ENT that works with children as well as adults. We had the same problem with my son when he was three and he had his tonsils and adnoids out. What a difference! No more snoring and he felt so much better becuase he was able to get proper sleep! Also we did not realize that the tonsils were bothering him so much that he was not eating as much as he should. He gained much needed weight in the next two months after the surgery. We were amazed when we saw the photos!He looked so much healthier!
The surgery was outpatient and while not too much fun, it was not horrible. Kids bounce back quick.
My pediatrician buy the way was like yours-he really didn't think we needed to see the ENT but after we had the tonsils out he was glad we did.
Good luck and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Best,
M.

My son is 4 1/2, last year he had his adenoids removed. He was getting tubes and during the procedure the doctor checked his adnoids and determined that they were large and should be removed. The reason was speech and language concerns as well as ear fluid, but he did occasionally snore which he no longer does. He also has large tonsils however our doctor did not feel that the removal of these would help his speech and this surgery has a much more difficult recovery than the adenoids. The adnoid recovery was not that bad, just basically that day. The worst part was not letting your child eat past midnight the night before and only clear fluids up until 3 hrs. before surgery. Also it depends on your child, some children have an easier time waking up from anesthesia (I know that's spelled wrong) than others. I love my ear/nose/throat doctor; Dr. Licamelli out of Children's Hospital (I have 2 other boys who also had surgery for ear tubes with him). He comes to the Lexington and Waltham offices and my son's day surgery was at the Lexington office. Hope this is a little helpful.

My now 5 year old has seen an ENT for a year and a half. He has a turned tonsil and will have surgery this Spring. Funny enough, as common as it was to have our tonsils removed, these days the doctors are much more cautious and you may end up with your son being monitored for awhile before any decisions are made. My son snored occasionally, always wakes from sleeping sweaty and has episodic apnea (when he cries he sometimes doesn't get enough air and he passes out). It is obvious that his tonsil is turned when you look in his throat (they said he has a 4 - 1 is normal and as the number gets higher the tonsil is blocking more of the throat until you get to 5 which means it is touching in the middle). We see Dr. Greg Licamelli at Children's Hospital, the Lexington branch, and we like him a lot.

As I said, my guy is scheduled for surgery this March. He goes in a week before for pre-op and to give him a tour of the hospital (or the part he will be in). The surgery will be in the morning. They reserved a bed for him but the doctor told us he may be able to go home that night. He said 1-4 year olds always stay and 8+ children almost always go home. In between depends on how the individual child reacts (I think how well he or she can tolerate taking in fluid). I have heard to expect a two week recovery but friends and co-workers who have had a similar experience have told me that their little ones (about 5) have bounced back after only a couple of days. I've heard it said the younger they are, the quicker they recover although I don't know how true that is. We chose Children's Hospital although our pediatrician also gave us the name of an ENT at Mass Eye and Ear who he said was great with children. My experience has been that hospitals that don't cater to children aren't for children because while the person you see may be fine, you ultimately have to deal with other personnel and they may be not so great. This was my experience with Mass General when my son had a procedure there. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Hi -
My daughter was 2 1/2 and snored like an 80 year old man. I was brushing her teeth one night and noticed that her tonsils were HUGE, they were touching each other!!! Due to the enlarged tonsils, my pediatrition told us to go to an ENT Doctor and he took one look and said that she would have to have both Tonsils and Adenoids out. We also went to Dr. John Tarro in RI, he was great with my daughter and good with us too!
She did have the sleep apnea from the enlarged tonsils, and her sleeping was so bad (unfortunately, after the surgery she still slept horribly, and we ended up taking her to Dr. Ferber - the sleep specialist to finally fix the issue - at 4 1/2 she now sleeps like a dream)
Having her tonsils and adenoids out was probably the worst 10 days of our lives. When the doctor told us that what ever we were expecting for her discomfort level, plan on it being 10 times worse. He was right. She cried for 2 days straight, didnt sleep, didnt eat. it was MISERABLE! but the end result was so much better, than freaking out that she woudl stop breathing at night w/ the sleep apnea.
Ask your pediatrition to get a referal (if you have to get them) for an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor, and see where it goes!
Good luck!
L.

You are right on the money questioning adenoids/tonsils.
My son (now 13) had the same issues as yours, interupted sleep, very loud snoring, I always thought he had a cold!
Sinus issues too and if he ever got strep throat, look out.
2 yrs ago I put my foot down and went to ear/nose/throat specialist and insisted that something be done. I didn't want him growing up w/progressive sleep apnea (where they actually stop breathing, semi wake up, then go back to sleep and start the cycle all over again.
He had his adenoids and tonsils out, 30 min procedure, lots of icepops/icecream and Advil for a few days......pure silence at night!!! Well worth it and we both feel better that his breathing will not be affected as he matures. Nothing scarier than thinking your kid isn't getting enough air! Go with your gut thinking, don't be afraid to push the issue. I wish I hadn't waited so long!
Good luck :)

H. (mom of 4...ages 16, 13, 10, and 5)
I'm a professional hoof care specialist w/over 200 clients in New England, hubby is 6th grade Teacher :)

My son needed to have his adenoids removed at 2 years old and also tubes put in. (He just turned 3) It doesn't hurt to visit an ENT to see what they say. My son also snored pretty loud and the doctor revealed through an xray that his adenoids were quite enlarged. Good Luck!

I agree with all who have suggested an ENT doctor. Evidently your doctor forgot to make note of you mentioning the problem or his/her listening skills are not good. I would bring it up again, see if you get a response and if the doctor still doesn't acknowledge ask right then and there for a referral or ask folk you know. Most times now your doctor has to refer you, but if friends and family know a very good doctor, your doctor can refer you. It doesn't have to be someone he knows personally.

If your doctor is not listening to your needs or your childs' needs, then maybe it is time to change doctors. Your sleep is very important to YOUR health as well. We all need 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to keep our bodies/hearts in good working condition.

Hi Steph, I would bring him to an ear nose throat speacialist. He may have enlargened adnoids. He most likely has sleep apnea as well which is caused by the breathing passage being closed off. Sleep apnea will interupt his sleep. If he's not well rested he will be grumpy all the time. Not to mention, you're not sleeping well. As a stay at home mom, especially if your husband is away at times you need to be on top of your game.
Real loud snoring is not normal or healthy for anyone and there are things that can be done. It's possible that your son simply has allergies that is causing inflamation in his throat, or he may have a low grade infection that is causing the same. Something as simple as a humidifier in the room may make a big differenc.
Good luck, let me know how you make out. - W.

Hi Stefanie, I would definitely take your son to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. It could be enlarged adenoids, or enlarged tonsils (which I would hope the pediatrician would notice if that were the case). Also it could be something as simple as his room being dry at night. A cool mist humidifier may help if that is the case. Today it is really important to be an assertive health care consumer and advocate for ourselves and our children. As Moms we tend to know our children best so don't be afraid to insist on seeing and ear nose and throat specialist for a second opinion. Good Luck C. D

Hi S.,
When my son was younger, his situation was alot like yours. He also was a very restless sleeper that snored. Normal maybe...however, my husband and I also noted that he had bad breath alot. Anyway, we ended up taking him to an ENT doctor (ears nose throat)who felt that his situation was due to enlarged adenoids and they were taken out. The snoring stopped, so did the bad breath, he sleeps better now as well.
The process was actually quite easy, from what I remember. It was day surgery, we were able to be with him at all times (except for the actual removal)...the doctors and nurses were exceptional! They explained every detail to us and to him, he was around 4, maybe 5. The hardest part was the first couple days after...it was important to keep the mouth from getting dry. Lots of liquids, soft foods and icecream for my little guy. It would be wise to look into it a bit more, especially where you are concerned. Believe me, there's no harm in making sure all bases are covered. Good luck S....let us know how everything turns out!

Hi S.,
My 5 year old daughter just had her tonsils and adnoids out 1 week ago, because of poor sleeping and snoring. She is doing well. We consulted Dr. Brown in Winchester a Pediatric ENT and he suggested that she have the surgery. Before she would snore like an adult, she was a very restless sleeper and never woke fully rested. Dr Brown said that she was probably experiencing sleep apnea, where the child stop breathing due to an obstruction of the the tonsils &/or adnoids. She had extremely large tonsils and adnoids. I must say that it has been a little over 1 week and my daughter has not snored since the surgery, she is much more rested and so are we. She did have some pain intially the first 2 days but it is much better. The hardest part is sticking to the soft diet for 2 weeks. Good luck!

My son is now 6, but has been snoring since about 3 yrs. old. We asked his doctor about it because he also is a sleep walker & a very restless sleeper most nights. We took him to an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor to have a consult. It turns out he has a blockage in his nasal passage & was diagnosed with pediatric sleep apnea. He is due to get his tonsils & adnoids out on friday. They say it may not completely solve the problem, but it sure is worth the chance. I have friends with boys that have gone through the same surgery with very good results so I am trying very hard not to freak out. Good luck

Hi S.,
Two of my boys have had their tonsils and adenoids removed. The older, now 13, was snoring and disrupting his and the families sleep. I mentioned it to the pediatrician and he referred us to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. He was about 8 at the time. When he was in recovery I said "I'll see you in a few years with my baby", about 2 at the time. She said why? I told her that when the baby cried it looked like his tonsils were touching, I didn't know how he swallowed without choking. She had me bring him in and by the time he turned 3 he was having his surgery as well. None of my children has ever had strep or and ear infection so it never came up with the pediatrician. The baby recovered in half the time as the 8 year old and he still, at 7, talks fondly about eating popsicles and ice cream and the wheelchair ride at the hospital. Recovery went as predicted with the 8 year old, liquids and jello first day or two, soft solids for two to three days, noodles, etc for a day or two and then back to a normal diet. He was out of school for a week. The 3 year old was quicker in the transitions due to less fear of the pain. I would do it again sooner than later. Good luck with your son.
D. C.

Hi S.,

We are going thru the same thing with my 5 year old, he is a very loud snorer, and at times stops breathing at night, We took him to a ear, nose throat Doctor. ( Dr. John Tarro , He is part of RI ENT and has offices all over the place, we see him in Pawtucket on School Street. Dr Tarro scheduled my son for a sleep study. The study came back that he had obstructive sleep apnea, and it would be best to pull his toncils and adnoids, he is scheduled for surgery in March. ( Iam more worried right now than he is !!!) My advice to you find an E.N.T tell him what is going on, ask for a sleep study and take it from there, everyone tells me it is best to do it know while thay are little, instead of when thay are older, Please keep me posted, Good luck, A.

A Little About Me : I am 36 years old, A Stay at Home mom of 2 handsome little boys ages 2.5 and 5, and have been married to my best friend for almost 9 years

My girlfriend had a 3-yo son who snored. He needed his adnoids and tonsils out--that's what was causing his snoring. He also never slept through the night. After his surgery he has been a new child--sleeps through night and no snoring.
I'd follow up with the pedi and ask for a ENT referral.

Hi, I am a nurse practitioner who used to work in a pediatric pulmonary/allergy/ and sleep clinic. Snoring in a 4 year old needs to be referred to a pulmonologist and/or a sleep center to check for sleep apnea.