Welcome Back, Fall: When Colds and Congestion Show Up (again)...
And just like that… summer is over.
The late bedtimes, slow mornings, swimming, camping, road trips, popsicles for breakfast (okay, maybe not actually breakfast), and general lack of schedule have given way to backpacks, lunchboxes, homework, sports, and approximately 47 things to remember before 8:30 a.m.
Fall also brings something else along with the changing leaves and school routines: colds, congestion, coughs, and a whole lot of stuffy noses.
For many kids, this is simply part of the season. A few days of congestion, a runny nose, and some extra snoring while recovering from a cold are not necessarily cause for concern.
But sometimes, the return to school and cooler weather also makes parents notice something that was already happening in the background.
Maybe your child has started:
Sleeping with their mouth open again
Snoring more frequently
Waking with a dry mouth
Having a stuffy or congested nose much of the time
Resting their tongue low in their mouth
Struggling to keep their lips together at rest
Drooling more than you would expect for their age
Pushing their tongue forward when swallowing
Eating with their mouth open or taking a long time to chew
Complaining that their nose feels blocked
Sounding congested even when they aren't sick
Having more difficulty with speech sounds that involve precise tongue placement
And this is where it can get a little tricky.
Is it just a cold… or is there something else going on?
A cold can temporarily change the way a child breathes, sleeps, eats, and even talks.
When the nose is blocked, we naturally look for another way to get air in. That often means opening the mouth.
For a short period of time, that's a pretty reasonable adaptation.
The problem is when mouth breathing, open-mouth posture, poor tongue posture, or other changes in oral function continue after the cold has passed.
That's when it may be worth taking a closer look.
An orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) involves differences in the way the muscles and structures of the mouth, face, and jaw work together. These differences can affect things like oral rest posture, breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech.
And sometimes the first clue isn't something dramatic.
It's simply: "Hmm… I don't remember them sleeping like that before."
Watch the pattern, not just the sick days
One of the most useful things parents can do is look at what happens between illnesses.
If your child has a cold and sleeps with their mouth open for a few nights, that may resolve as they recover.
But if they're still sleeping with their mouth open weeks later…
If the snoring continues…
If their lips are rarely closed when they're awake…
If their tongue seems to sit low or forward…
If chewing and swallowing seem effortful…
Those are patterns worth noticing.
The goal isn't to panic every time your child has a stuffy nose. (If we did that, we'd all be exhausted by October.)
Instead, think about whether the change resolves when the illness resolves.
A little fall reminder
As we settle back into routines, pay attention to the little things.
Not every runny nose is a problem.
Not every night of snoring means something is wrong.
But persistent patterns deserve attention.
If your child continues to mouth breathe, snore, sleep with their mouth open, struggle with chewing or swallowing, or demonstrate other changes in oral function after the cold has passed, that's a good time to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
Because sometimes the return of fall doesn't just bring back the school routine.
It brings back the signs we didn't notice as much during those long, busy, wonderfully chaotic summer days.
And that's worth paying attention to.
Before You Go...
Some food for thought as we move into this season...The cold may be gone, but what about the changes it left behind?
Sometimes, the most important things to notice are the things that don't go away.
-Kaylene
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