Sleep Apnea is one of the most prevalent of the Breathing Disorders of sleep. Generally, one out of 25 middle-aged men and one out of 50 middle-aged women have Sleep Apnea but it can also affect children.

What is Sleep Apnea?  It is a common condition characterized by a periodic reduction in or a complete stop of breathing during sleep. This is usually caused by an obstruction blocking the back of the throat so that the air cannot reach your lungs. It can be a frightening experience for a parent to watch their child suffer from these symptoms.

Facts You Need to Know About Childhood Sleep Disorders:

Children can be affected by Sleep Disorders, including those commonly found in adults, such as Snoring, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, and Restless Legs Syndrome.  Children’s Sleep Disorders can affect the child€™s general behaviour which can result in mood swings and general irritability.  Rest is essential to a child€™s growth and development €“ both physically and mentally.  Sleep Apnea in children has been linked to bedwetting, growth problems and even High Blood Pressure. With prolonged periods of insufficient sleep a child€™s attention span will be affected which may result in poor school performance, learning difficulties and has been linked to ADHD. Those who have ADHD and Sleep Disorders are difficult to treat, but when the proper treatment is found, the results can be notable such as improved conduct and decreased irritability. Most children who snore do NOT have Apnea, but a sleep study is the only reliable way to tell for sure.  Children are more likely to have it if their parents or siblings had it as children.

What Can Be Done:

Sleep Specialists have special training in sleep medicine and can help to determine if your child has primary Snoring, Sleep Apnea or another problem. They can then offer you the most appropriate treatment. As with all conditions, it is essential to get the advice of a professional Healthcare provider.

Conclusion:

Children’s Sleep Disorders are often harmful to their development and well being.  Every child needs periods of uninterrupted sleep for optimal growth, but sleep problems are very common – especially among younger children.  Sustained periods of disturbed sleep have enormous impact on the whole family – both on parents’ ability to function during the day and on other children.

The good news is there are many Natural Treatment Solutions for Children’s Sleep Disorders.

Once you have been given a tentative diagnosis of sleep apnea or a similar sleep/breathing disorder, an all-night sleep test should be arranged. Proper testing for sleep disorders is important because several sleep disorders have superficial similarities and might be confused with sleep apnea or be incorrectly diagnosed if testing is not done properly. An incorrect diagnosis, leading to incorrect treatment, can be a serious error. For example, medications that are often prescribed for narcolepsy or insomnia can actually worsen sleep apnea, so a correct diagnosis is very important.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which people have irresistible “sleep attacks” at inappropriate times, somewhat as in sleep apnea. However, narcolepsy is a distinct neurologic disorder with its own characteristic symptoms (cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations) not found in sleep apnea.

Insomnia is sometimes confused with sleep apnea. Insomnia has numerous causes, and only a few people who have insomnia also have sleep apnea.

Two other sleep disorders sometimes occur alone or along with sleep apnea. These are periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS, also called periodic leg movement disorder, PLMD, or nocturnal myoclonus) and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Again, appropriate testing by an experienced sleep disorders specialist will avoid confusing one sleep disorder with another.

An overnight sleep test will:

1. Confirm whether you actually have sleep apnea or another form of sleep-disordered breathing
2. Determine the type of sleep/breathing disorder, which must be known in order to select the appropriate treatment
3. Rule out other sleep disorders