You might be thinking how cute it is that your toddler snores just like his or her daddy. But the big motor boat sounds your child makes when sleeping can signal complications like sleep apnea or can lead to behavior problems during the day.

"We used to think snoring itself was just benign; it turns out this is not so true," says Dr. Heidi Connolly, director of Pediatric Sleep Medicine Services at Strong Health in Rochester, N.Y. "[Snoring] is used as a marker for sleep apnea."

Dr. Connolly says that not all snorers have sleep apnea but their quality of sleep is affected and can result in children not getting enough shuteye through the night. Lack of quality sleep can lead to behavior problems during the day and academic difficulties further down the road.

Viola Schrantz from Minden, Nev., has a young son who suffered from sleep apnea, "He was in overdrive, hyperactive," she says. "He was tired all the time, but his actions were those of a child with ADHD [attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder]. He was cranky and hard to control."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.