Parents should be aware persistent snoring is not normal in children and should be investigated. Researchers, whose results appeared in the journal Pediatrics May 2012 found that two- and three-year olds who snored loudly at least a couple of times per week tended to have more behavioural problems, especially hyperactivity, depression and inattention.
The study lead by researcher Dean Beebe did not find that breathing problems lead directly to behavioural problems or that treating the underlying cause of snoring can improve behavioural problems but that persistent, loud snoring was associated with higher rates of problem behaviour. They do comment, however, that it would be reasonable to anticipate a link between the two simply based on impaired sleep quality.
The strongest predictors for the snoring were lower socioeconomic status and the absence or shorter duration of breastfeeding. It makes sense though that sleep disordered breathing may affect behaviour as it can be said that poor sleep quality can make children tired and more easily frustrated.