# A three-year-old who snores? Normal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334 "2005-01-06T02:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/1 "2005-01-06T02:42:27Z")
My son is three. He doesn’t have an ounce of fat on his body and yet he snores. I know that being overweight is not the only cause of snoring. He has allergies, but snores even when the allergies seem to be in complete remission. We’re thinking there may be a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy in his future, but we’re from a generation which got our tonsils out like Dobermans got their tails off. Should we be worried? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/2 "2005-01-06T02:57:05Z")
IANAD but he may have sleep apnea which could be serious. It could be a lot of things. You really need medical advice from a doctor in person. Haj ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/3 "2005-01-06T02:57:31Z")
IANAD, but I am a parent, and my three all snored. One was sleeping in the pediatrician’s office when the doc came in and she commented (amusedly) on the volume of her snoring, and made no mention of it being worrisome. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/4 "2005-01-06T03:00:31Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > IANAD but he may have sleep apnea which could be serious. It could be a lot of things. You really need medical advice from a doctor in person. > > Haj What **haj** said. Sooner is better than later. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/5 "2005-01-06T03:18:19Z")
Will do. I’ve been listening for apnea and haven’t heard any stoppages. But we’ll get him looked at. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Deschain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@Roland\_Deschain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Deschain)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/6 "2005-01-06T03:27:28Z")
I think it can be a variation of normal, but I would mention it to your M.D. they can listen for any adventitious lung sounds (cackles, wheezes, stridor ect). Also, they may want to know if anyone in the household smokes. I am assuming that everything else is normal (no nasal flairing, normal weight gain, normal color, no use of respiratory accessory muscles for normal breathing, no intercostal retractions or grunting). ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/7 "2005-01-06T04:21:38Z")
I had my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was about nine or so. Prior to that I also snored, afterwards I didn’t anymore. However mine were removed because of recurrent infections. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/8 "2005-01-06T04:53:29Z")
There’s a fair bit about snoring in children available on-line. Much of it appears biased (to my eye) so [here is a link from the NIH](http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/04-10-07.htm) (a preumably reputable source). ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-three-year-old-who-snores-normal/283334/9 "2005-01-13T18:58:49Z")
Jeez, Tom. As much as DAD snored, you’d think it would be a SOOTHING sound. Just turn on a golf tournament on TV, and you’ll feel a quarter of a century younger… 😉 > [@](#): > > … we’re from a generation which got our tonsils out like Dobermans got their tails off. I didn’t get MY tonsils out until I was about 28. See? Mom and Dad DO love you best. 😃