Mouth Breathing Linked to Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Children, finds study

The study evaluated school-aged children for breathing patterns, sleep symptoms, and clinical indicators of airway obstruction. Researchers found that children who habitually breathed through the mouth had a markedly higher risk of developing Sleep-disordered breathing compared to those who primarily breathed nasally.

Mouth breathing was associated with increased rates of snoring, restless sleep, and observed breathing pauses during the night, which are hallmark features of Sleep-disordered breathing. Importantly, the link between mouth breathing and Sleep-disordered breathing persisted even after accounting for confounding variables such as age, sex, and body mass index.

This suggests that mouth breathing itself is an independent risk factor for sleep-related breathing disorders. Researchers emphasized that chronic mouth breathing may reflect underlying nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or allergic rhinitis, which in turn contribute to airway collapse during sleep.

The findings underscore the need for pediatricians, dentists, and caregivers to pay closer attention to children’s breathing habits. Simple screening for habitual mouth breathing in school-aged children could serve as an early marker for those at risk of Sleep-disordered breathing, facilitating timely referral for further evaluation and management. Researchers concluded that targeted interventions—such as managing nasal obstruction, orthodontic evaluation, or adenotonsillectomy in select cases—may help reduce the burden of Sleep-disordered breathing in children.

However, they also cautioned that longitudinal studies are required to better understand causality and the long-term outcomes of early intervention strategies. Overall, the study provides strong evidence that mouth breathing is not a benign habit but a clinically relevant marker of potential sleep-disordered breathing, highlighting the importance of early recognition in improving pediatric health outcomes.