Snoring in an 18-month-old child

Snoring is the sound of air moving through a narrowed upper airway during sleep. A cold may briefly narrow the nose, while ongoing snoring can accompany nasal inflammation, enlarged tonsil or adenoid tissue, or obstructive sleep apnoea.

Observe whether the sound happens only during an illness or on most nights. More concerning features include pauses followed by gasping, laboured breathing, persistent mouth breathing, unusual sleeping positions, restless sleep, heavy sweating, or frequent waking.

During the day, note unusual sleepiness, irritability, feeding difficulty, poor growth, or changes in activity. Obstructive sleep apnoea in children commonly presents with repeated airway narrowing during sleep; snoring can be one feature, but sound alone cannot establish the diagnosis.

Keep the sleep space smoke-free and use age-appropriate saline nose drops if congestion is present. Avoid decongestants, sedating antihistamines, essential oils, and anti-snoring products unless a clinician specifically recommends them for your child.

Record a short video or audio clip when the snoring and breathing are clearly visible, without disturbing safe sleep. Note how often it occurs, whether there are pauses or gasps, recent illnesses, allergy symptoms, and the child's daytime behaviour. Continue placing the child on a firm, flat sleep surface without pillows or positioning devices.

Call emergency services if your child stops breathing, turns blue or grey, is difficult to wake, has severe breathing difficulty, or shows marked pulling in beneath or between the ribs. These signs need immediate assessment regardless of the cause of the snoring.

Book a paediatric or GP review for snoring on most nights, witnessed pauses, gasping, disturbed sleep, persistent mouth breathing, feeding problems, or concerns about growth and development. The clinician may examine the nose and throat and decide whether further sleep or ear, nose, and throat assessment is appropriate.

Share whether the pattern began with a cold, whether your child has allergy symptoms, and what you saw between snores. You can ask if enlarged tonsils or adenoids are suspected, whether a sleep assessment is needed, and which congestion treatments are safe at this age.