Research shows that about one in 10 children habitually snore but your child's nighttime snoring may be more than just an annoyance--it could be affecting both his physical and psychological health. New studies show that children who snore suffer from poor school performance, may be at higher risk for hyperactivity and are twice as likely to have asthma.

What Causes Childhood Snoring

A number of risk factors are associated with childhood snoring. Some of the most common are:

• Obesity
• Parental Smoking
• Daytime Mouth Breathing

For decades, doctors have recognized the link between obesity and snoring for people of all ages but a 2003 study showed that children with a high body mass index, or a BMI higher than 90% of their peers, were four times more likely to snore than children whose BMIs fell in the normal range. Researchers believe that the heavier necks of obese children press down on the windpipes of sleeping children and lead to increased snoring.

Research has also established a link between snoring and in-home smoking. Children who live with smokers are far more likely to snore than children living in smoke-free environments. As few as 10 cigarettes a day smoked in the home were enough to raise a child's risk of nighttime snoring.

Excessive or frequent daytime mouth breathing is also a factor in childhood snoring, although the breathing itself doesn't seem to be the problem. Instead, daytime mouth breathing usually accompanies nasal congestion, which has been proven to increase snoring in adults.

How Snoring Lowers Test Scores

A 2003 German study of 1129 third-grade students found a clear link between snoring and poor academic performance. Most surprising, researchers found that snoring hurts a child's performance even if hypoxia, or lack of brain oxygen, doesn't occur. Previously, most doctors had considered snoring without hypoxia harmless.

Not surprising was the finding that the link between snoring and lower test scores became clearer as snoring became for frequent or resulted in apnea. Children who snored habitually had twice the risk of poor school performance and as snoring frequency increased test scores dropped accordingly. The researchers concluded that snoring interfered with the children's sleep and that the lower quality of sleep ultimately shortened attention spans, increased daytime sleepiness and led to behavioral problems like hyperactivity.

How Snoring is Linked to Asthma

Physicians have long used nighttime coughing as an indicator of early childhood asthma but the findings of a 2003 Australian study suggest that first treating a child's snoring may help lessen symptoms of this common childhood condition. The study, which looked at nearly 1000 preschool children, found that 42% of the children who snored suffered from asthma and nearly 62% of them had nighttime cough. Among children who rarely or never snored, asthma rates dropped to 26.5% and nighttime cough dropped to 30.5%.

While the research didn't prove that snoring actually causes asthma, doctors believe that snoring may act as a trigger by forcing upper respiratory mucus (and the allergens it's captured during the day) to enter the lungs.

What You Can Do about Your Child's Snoring

There are currently no medical procedures used specifically for nighttime snoring but if the snoring is severe enough to cause apnea, your doctor may recommend a tonsillectomy and an adenoidectomy. Most children usually experience noticeable relief within the first 6 months following their surgeries.

Home treatments for childhood snoring are usually the first approach for most parents. Limiting or eliminating smoking in your home should be a top priority. And encouraging your child to maintain a healthy weight and get adequate rest can be very helpful, as well. Additionally, many children experience at least some relief by switching from back-sleeping to side-sleeping.