Sleep Apnea and Children
Obstructive sleep apnea affects 2 percent of children in the United States. (The adenoids are a mass of tissue that connects the back of the nasal cavity to the throat.) When the throat muscles are relaxed during sleep, the adenoids and tonsils can block the airway. Some other causes of obstructive sleep apnea in children include cleft palate or cleft palate repairs, receding chin, allergies, anatomical abnormalities, and obesity.
Common symptoms and signs of sleep apnea in children:
- Snoring
- Noisy breathing while sleeping
- Gasping for air
- Heavy sweating while asleep
- Nightmares/ night terrors
- Bed wetting
- Very restless sleep and sleeping in strange positions
- Daytime sleepiness
- Attention problems/hyperactivity
- Problems in school
If your child exhibits some of these symptoms you should strongly consider having your child take a polysomnography, a painless sleep study conducted in a sleep lab. These sleep studies are intended to check for sleep apnea in children and adults.
As in adults, children with sleep apnea can be sleepy during the day. School teachers may report that the child falls asleep frequently while in class. On the other hand, some children might become hyperactive as a result of sleep apnea. Behavior problems have been related to sleep apnea; specifically ADHD. Having sleep apnea can cause learning disabilities, morning headaches, or discipline problems.
Another problem of sleep apnea in children is called failure to thrive. Growth hormone is released when a child sleeps at night, and sleep apnea can interrupt this process. This means that some younger children with sleep apnea will not gain a normal amount of weight and height.
