12/09/2026
I always like to share this every few years
Parents- I know that children do not come with an instruction book. I know that you can’t know everything. So I’ve put this list together. It’s a list of things that are NOT normal and should not be ignored. These things are signs of a problem. Please don’t ignore the warning signs.
1. Snoring
2. Mouth breathing
3. Stopping breathing when asleep
4. Teeth grinding when asleep
5. Sleep talking
6. Sleep walking
7. Night terrors
8. Bed wetting beyond about 8 years of age, maybe even 5
9. Waking up tired
10. Tired during the day
11. Emotional sensitivity- for example cries at drop of a hat, moody, grumpy, anger management issues
12. Educational problems
13. Behavioural issues
14. Sleeping with the head arched back
15. Restless sleep, tossing and turning
16. The bed is all messed up
17. Sweating at night
18. Chewing on food and then spitting it out consistently- especially meat
19. Repeated ear infections
20. Drools on the pillow
21. Wakes up with a headache
22. Gasping or waking with a startle
23. Fidgety during the day, can’t sit still
24. Has symptoms suggestive of ADHD
25. Has to be propped up on a few pillows to sleep
26. Wakes with a dry mouth and/or dry lips
27. Lower jaw sits backwards
28. A narrow upper jaw
29. The mouth is wide open, the tongue can not touch the roof of the mouth
30. Has chewing and/or swallowing problems
31. A regular or persistent blocked nose
32. Coughing at night
33. Regular throat clearing
34. Frequent blood noses
35. Trouble going to sleep
36. Waking up and coming to your room at night
37. Sneezing a lot in the morning
38. Having itch eyes, nose, ears, and/or throat
In getting advice, DO NOT accept the following- they are outdated and wrong:
1. They will out grow it
2. It’s normal, lots of kids do this
3. It’s just how he/she is
4. It’s only a quite snore so don’t worry about it
5. They just take after their dad/mum
6. If you can hear them breathing that’s ok, it means they are alive
7. Some kids just take a longer time than others to stop wetting the bed
8. It’s just a normal phase they are going through
9. Mouth breathing is normal
10. They are not a morning person
