Is It Normal for a Newborn to Sleep With Their Mouth Open?
There’s nothing like looking down at your baby and seeing them sleeping soundly with their cute button nose and squeezable cheeks. This time, though, you notice that your baby has their mouth open. Is it normal for your newborn to sleep with their mouth open?
There are many possibilities as to why your little one may be catching some flies along with their ZZZ’S. While it could be as simple as them sleeping like this out of habit, it could also mean something else. Keep reading to learn about some of the common reasons why your newborn may be sleeping with their mouth open.
Reasons a Newborn Might Sleep with Their Mouth Open
There are many reasons why a newborn might be sleeping with their mouth open. Here are some of the most common.
They Might Have A Cold
When your little one catches a cold or even suffers from seasonal allergies, mucus can plug up their noses, making it hard for them to breathe. This can cause your little one to start breathing out of their mouth because of their plugged nose. Babies can’t clear their noses on their own, so they will rely on you to help them!
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where you may stop breathing suddenly while asleep. Mouth breathing could be a sign of sleep apnea. This is frequently caused by large tonsils or adenoids when it is seen in children.
Deviated Septum
A deviated septum is an abnormality in the formation of the cartilage and bone found in between the nose. Your baby's mouth breathing could be from a deviated septum!
Forming a Habit
Your baby’s mouth breathing may have become a habit, especially if they just had a recent illness.
Potential Complications from Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing, if it only happens occasionally, shouldn’t be any cause for concern. But if it is something that persists, complications can arise and cause immediate symptoms, as well as some issues further down the road. Some of these issues could be:
Swollen tonsils
Dry cough
Inflamed tongue
Cavities (as they age)
Dry lips
Smelly breath
Gingivitis
While these are some physical symptoms they can experience, there are also physical changes that could happen with your child over time from breathing out of their mouth. This could be:
Larger chin
“Gummy” smile
Open bite
Overall narrow face
In addition to these potential concerns, your baby may not be getting as sound of sleep as they would be if they were breathing through their nose. It has been shown that breathing with an open mouth does not increase the amount of oxygen going into your body, which can cause health problems down the road, such as heart problems or high blood pressure.
Remedies for Mouth Breathing
Thankfully, there are some easy at-home treatments you can do to help your little one breathe better. These can be done as long as your baby isn’t showing other symptoms. If your baby has more symptoms than just mouth breathing, an appointment should be made with the pediatrician to be sure there is nothing serious happening.
As long as you only notice mouth breathing, try some of these remedies:
A humidifier. Adding a cool mist humidifier in your baby’s room can be a great solution to help with a stuffy nose. It will add cool moisture into the air for your baby to breathe easier. If you don’t have one of these in your home, you can sit in the bathroom running a hot shower or give your baby a warm bath to help loosen up the mucus.
An air filter. If allergies are the cause of your baby’s congestion and mouth breathing, an air filter in the home will do wonders for their breathing. Filters will help clean the air of dust, germs, and even pet dander!
Vacuum frequently. Even if you invest in an air filter, frequent vacuuming and sweeping will help reduce the dirt and pet dander in the house, which will in turn improve the efficiency of the air filter.
Bulb syringe. A bulb syringe is a go-to when trying to get mucus out of your baby’s nose. Many hospitals even let you take theirs home! If you don’t like the bulb syringe, there are alternative snot-removing devices, such as the Oogiebear Baby Ear Cleaner. The smallest amount of mucus can make it hard for your baby to breathe, so it is important to clean out their nose as needed.
Saline spray. You can find baby-safe saline spray to use to help break up your baby’s mucus. This can be sprayed into their nose and then immediately followed by a snot-sucking device. Once your baby gets a little older, you should be able to use a neti-pot to loosen up their mucus.
Keep hydrating. Pushing fluids for your little ones is important for keeping them healthy. Dehydration can cause mucus buildup, so be sure they are drinking enough breast milk or formula!
Keep Track of Your Baby’s Sleep Habits with Baby Connect
Keeping an eye on your baby and their health is the most important thing to you, as any parent can agree! When your baby starts sleeping with their mouth open, you want to find out the reason why. Monitoring when it is happening and how often can help you determine the cause.
With all of your baby’s exciting milestones, it can be easy to lose track of all the information you want to record. Because of this common problem among parents, Baby Connect was designed to fix this issue. Using Baby Connect allows you to keep track of all your baby’s important milestones, physical symptoms, and even feeding schedule to make sure nothing falls through the cracks! Try it for free today.
