Is Mouth Breathing Affecting Your Child's Sleep?

A Quick Read from a Myofunctional Therapist & Pediatric Sleep Consultant

As a myofunctional therapist, I’ve spent years helping families understand how things like oral function, nasal breathing, and tongue posture impact their child’s sleep, health, and development.

One pattern I kept noticing? Parents would say, “We sleep trained back when they were a baby… but they’ve never been a great sleeper.”

And I’d always pause and think: If sleep training “worked,” why are they still struggling?

The truth is, sleep training often does address incredibly important foundations—teaching your child to fall asleep independently, follow a consistent routine, and reduce night waking's. But when something deeper, like mouth breathing or snoring, is present, those strategies may only scratch the surface.

What Is Mouth Breathing—and Why Does It Matter?

Mouth breathing happens when a child sleeps (or functions during the day) with their mouth open instead of breathing through their nose. And while it might seem harmless—or even go unnoticed—it can quietly interfere with the body’s ability to get deep, restorative sleep at night.

It reduces oxygen intake, keeps the body in lighter sleep cycles, and can lead to snoring, restlessness, frequent wake-ups, and even behavior or focus issues during the day.

Signs to Watch For:

• Sleeping with an open mouth

• Noisy, audible breathing or snoring (yes, even “cute” light snoring)

• Dry mouth or drooling

• Restless sleep or frequent night waking

• Dark circles under the eyes

(just to name a few)

Even if your child falls asleep on their own, mouth breathing can fragment their sleep—and leave everyone wondering why they’re still tired.

Why Is This Often Missed?

First, many of the families I work with always say the same thing: “when I brought up mouth breathing to our pediatrician, they did not seem concerned”. 

Next, most sleep training programs (even the really great ones!) focus on habits, routines, and behavioral strategies—which ARE essential for independent sleep. But they don’t typically assess oral structure, airway health, or breathing patterns.

At the same time, seeing a myofunctional therapist alone won’t address things like independent sleep, sleep associations or age-appropriate scheduling.

That’s why families sometimes feel like they’re doing everything right, but still not seeing results—because each approach is offering just one piece of the puzzle.

On the flip side, some families don’t see signs of airway dysfunction now—but learning what to watch for can help them stay ahead of future concerns, whether for their child or other family members.

The Solution? A Whole Child Approach

It comes down to looking at two key things: BEHAVIOR & FUNCTION! 

These underlying issues can fragment sleep, reduce oxygen intake, and cause frequent wake-ups… even if your child falls asleep just fine.

It’s like trying to solve a puzzle with only half the pieces—or teaching your child to drive a car with an engine that won’t run smoothly. You can do everything “right,” but something still feels off — it’s frustrating and never quite “clicks.”

I call this the Integrative Sleep Method ™ —where we address sleep routines and sleep schedules, but also look beyond these to understand why your child struggles with sleep, and then create a personalized plan that supports deep, healthy rest, development, and long-term wellness.

💛 Want to see if I can help your child when it comes to both sleep training & sleep quality? 

Send me a message & let's chat!