There may not be a lot that can be done about this, but just over 100 years ago a Victorian doctor in a bluntly titled article, “Causes of Stupidity and Backwardness in Children”, drew attention to “the stupid and lazy who breathe through their mouths rather than the nose, snore and are restless at night” and who exhibit “a marked inability to fix their attention on their lessons for any length of time”.

It was, in retrospect, a very astute observation of a process where, as currently understood, the presence of large tonsils and adenoids at the back of the throat obstruct the flow of air into the lungs when asleep. This in turn reduces the oxygen supply to the brain to cause daytime sleepiness, irritability and difficulty in concentrating.

Snoring is, of course, very common in children … Continue reading article