Should You Be Concerned If Your Baby Sleeps with Their Mouth Open?

A sleeping baby is one of the calmest sights for new parents. When your little one is at rest, you can examine those little fingers and toes. You can soak in their sleepy eyes and wiggly nose. You love all those tiny grunts, snores, and their adorable open mouth.

But hold on — you may want to focus more on that last feature. Mouth breathing during sleep may be a sign of certain upper respiratory issues and can lead to health complications if not treated.

Here’s more about why your baby may sleep with their mouth open, what you can do to help, and when you should visit your pediatrician.

What it may mean if your baby’s sleeping with their mouth open

Newborn babies breathe through their noses almost exclusively unless their nasal passage is obstructed in some way. In fact, young babies — until around age 3 to 4 months — haven’t yet developed the reflex to breathe through their mouths. (That is, unless they’re crying.)

Researchers explain that mouth breathing during sleep may develop in response to some type of blockage in the upper airway, like the nose or throat. This could be from something fairly harmless on its own, like a stuffy nose with a cold or from allergies. Or it could be from other, more complex conditions.

Over time, breathing through the mouth may become a habit that’s hard to break.

Thing is, mouth breathing isn’t as efficient as nose breathing — especially when it comes to oxygen absorption in the lungs. And breathing through the nose also helps to filter out bacteria and irritants from entering the body.

Potential causes of mouth breathing include the following:

Mucus

Your baby may be breathing through their mouth out of necessity if their nose is stuffy or blocked with mucus. They may have recently had a cold or might be allergic to something in their environment.

Whatever the case, babies can’t easily clear mucus on their own, so they may compensate with mouth breathing.

Sleep apnea

Mouth breathing is also a sign of sleep apnea, which basically means that your baby’s upper airway is obstructed in some way. With babies and children, this is usually due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

Other symptoms include things like snoring, restlessness during sleep, pauses in breathing, and coughing or choking.

Deviated septum

Sometimes mouth breathing can be caused by an abnormality in the cartilage and bone that separates your baby’s nostrils from one another. This may lead to trouble breathing through the nose and may be common in people who also have a narrow upper jaw (also associated with mouth breathing).

Habit

And some babies may just get in the habit of breathing through their noses after sickness or for some other reason.

Treatments for your baby sleeping with their mouth open

If your baby seems to struggle to breathe or has other symptoms along with mouth breathing, consider making an appointment with your pediatrician. Your child’s doctor can help rule out conditions that may be blocking the airway, prescribe medication for any infections, or order further testing.

Otherwise, you might try the following things at home to clear congestion:

• Humidifier. Adding moisture to the air can help stuffy noses. A cool mist humidifier is most appropriate for babies and young children to avoid burn risk. If you don’t have a humidifier, you might consider sitting with your baby in the bathroom while you run a hot shower to create steam.
• Bulb syringe. Even a small amount of mucus in your baby’s nose can make it hard for them to breathe. You can suck it out using a basic bulb syringe or one of those fancy snot suckers, like the NoseFrida. Be gentle so you don’t hurt your little one’s nose. And clean your syringe with each use to prevent harmful bacteria from forming.
• Saline wash. A few sprays of a saline solution (salt water) may help thin and loosen the mucus before you suck it out. As your baby gets a bit older, you may even try a neti pot or saline rinse. Just be sure to boil tap water and cool or use distilled water for safety.
• Stay hydrated. Make sure your baby is drinking plenty of breast milk or formula to avoid dehydration and keep the mucus flowing.

Possible complications if your baby continues to sleep with their mouth open

You might not think that mouth breathing during sleep would have any major consequences. But dentists and doctors say that there are a number of potential discomforts and other issues that could develop if it continues long term.

Side effects include:

• swollen tonsils
• dry cough
• inflamed tongue
• teeth issues, like cavities
• foul-smelling breath
• gingivitis

There are also potential complications, including long face syndrome. This basically means that your child’s lower facial features may disproportionately elongate. Features you may notice include things like:

• larger chin
• gingival “gummy” smile
• open bite
• overall narrow face

The takeaway

Cute, definitely. But your baby’s mouth breathing during sleep may also be a critical clue to their health.

There are plenty of things you can do to help your baby breathe easier if they’re simply congested. If the issue continues, it’s worth bringing it up to your pediatrician or a dental health professional.

Once you treat any obstructions or other conditions, you can both sleep much more soundly at night.

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