What is sleep apnea and how does it affect children? If your child struggles with daytime fatigue, slipping grades, irritability, depression, hyperactive behavior, nightmares, bedwetting, or additional sleeping difficulties, he or she may suffer from a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by abnormally long pauses in breathing or abnormally low breathing during sleep. While this can understandably be quite frightening for parents, and sleep apnea is indeed a highly serious condition, there are plenty of treatment options available, and education is always a healthy first step.
Common Symptoms:
Before beginning to explore treatment, one should learn the symptoms of sleep apnea, and the ways it can present itself in children. Specific symptoms and resultant behaviors include the following:
- Excessive sleepiness during waking hours
- Frequent, recurring episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep
- Loud, raspy, or squeaky snoring during sleep
- Nocturnal choking, gasping, snorting, any of which may cause the sufferer to wake
- Restless sleep
- Heavy breathing
- Excessive nocturnal perspiration
- Bad dreams or night terrors
- Sleeping with mouth open
- Sleeping in irregular positions (such as on his/her stomach with head turned to the side, knees bent, and rear end up in the air)
- Morning headaches
- Un-restful or unsatisfying sleep
- Learning or cognitive difficulties
- Unexplained shifts in personality
- Difficulty in concentration
- Frequent upper respiratory infections
- Developmental challenges
- Hyperactive behavior
- Difficulties in personal relationships
Seriousness and Complications:
Though there are several different types of treatment available, one of the most challenging aspects of sleep apnea, particularly in children, is simply identifying it. Because most sufferers rarely recognize their own symptoms, and due to the variety of possible causes contributing to certain symptoms in children, such as hyperactivity or learning difficulties, sleep apnea can easily go undiagnosed and therefore untreated. Sleep apnea in its most common form can be a very serious, life-threatening condition which can lead children to develop growing problems, heart issues, and high blood pressure.
Monitoring your child’s sleeping patterns can be an effective way to recognize warning signs of sleep apnea. Pay close attention to breathing irregularities or sleeping positions which appear particularly uncomfortable. If you suspect your child has sleep apnea, please consult your doctor or local health clinic immediately.
Types of Sleep Apnea:
- Obstructive:
– Obstructive sleep apnea is the disease’s most common form. It is directly caused by obstruction of the upper airway and is frequently associated with snoring. Children’s obstructive sleep apnea is usually caused by obstructive tonsils and/or adenoids, and the condition will be relieved upon their removal.
- Central:
– Central sleep apnea differs from obstructive sleep apnea in that no external obstruction is causing the respiratory difficulties; instead they usually caused by an inconsistency in the body’s feedback loops which control breathing.
- Complex/Mixed:
– This type of sleep apnea is simply a combination of the two aforementioned types.
Treatment:
Until the 1980s, sleep apnea was nearly exclusively treated with surgery. Today there are several additional options. Behavioral therapy is a common first treatment, which includes making deliberate changes to one’s lifestyle such as sleeping on one’s side which can unblock the airway, or avoiding depressants, including alcohol, which slow breathing. The Pillar Procedure is minimally invasive treatment which involves inserting ‘pillars’ into the soft palate which aid respiratory function. There are also a variety of mechanical, surgical, and alternative treatments. Discuss all treatment options with your doctor.
For Children or Adults Looking to Improve Their Quality of Sleep:
There are several things one can do to improve their sleep. This can include setting a strict bed and wake time, which helps prevent one’s sleep schedule from drifting out of control. Sometimes a medical condition such as anxiety or depression can contribute to sleeplessness. If you notice symptoms of sleep apnea, consult your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will be able to give you useful information on any sleep disturbance you may experience.
Author Bio: Joel Mark is an online author who is passionate about basketball, weight training & fitness. When he’s not outside exercising, he studies a lot about health and nutrition, which runs the gamut from sleep apnea treatment to nutrition.
Image: Flickr/Visions By Vicky
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