What Is Sleep Apnea?
In short sleep apnoea is the stopping and starting of breathing during sleep. Sleep Apnea in children is not something commonly discussed or talked about. This is usually because it can present slightly different in children to adults and is usually misdiagnosed for another health condition.
Sleep Apnea commonly knows as OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) is thought to be something that effects the elderly and those that are overweight or have underlying health issues.
But, this is not always the case. Sleep Apnea in children can to cause periods of no breath during sleep, snoring and gasping noises whilst sleeping.
These pauses in breathing can occur when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open during sleep, or the airway experiences obstruction as a result of becoming relaxed.
For more information on Sleep Apnea and what it is click here.
What Causes Sleep Apnea In Children?
The relaxation of the throat muscles happens to everyone when sleeping. However, with Sleep Apnea, the muscles become too relaxed and cause a blockage of the airway. It is this blockage and obstruction that results in breathing difficulty.
However, in children, it is more likely and more evident that enlarged adenoids or tonsils are the cause of airway obstruction during sleep.
There are many reasons a child may suffer with Sleep Apnea. These include:
- a family history of OSA
- being overweight
- medical conditions such as Down syndrome or cerebral palsy
- problems of the mouth, jaw, or throat
- a large tongue
Signs & Symptoms In Children
The signs and symptoms of sleep apnea in children have some similarity to adults. However, in children the symptoms can be representative of other things and so can be easily misdiagnosed.
Here are some of the common signs you as a parent may notice in your child:
- snoring, snorts, or gasping sounds when sleeping
- heavy breathing while sleeping with pauses
- restless sleep, lots of fidgeting and sleeping in unusual positions
- the re-occurrence of bedwetting after it had previously stopped
- daytime sleepiness, irritability or behaviour problems
- sleepwalking, sleep talking or night terrors
How Does This Effect Children?
All of these symptoms can negatively impact the quality of your child’s sleep and this itself can create health issues and signs that you may notice as parent. These signs include:
- struggle to wake up in the morning
- be excessively tired or fall asleep during the day
- have trouble paying attention, act out or be hyperactive
Many of these signs are mistaken for behavioural issues or get misdiagnosed as ADHD and ASD. As well as this, Your child’s school performance may be affected by all of the above. It is important to review the symptoms your child is experiencing and explore other possibilities outside of ADHD, ASD and behavioural issues.
How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
Diagnosis comes from a sleep study or sleep specialist. Your first call will be to your GP if your child has any of the signs and symptoms above.
Alternatively you can book a private sleep study.
A sleep study can help doctors diagnose your child, so they can receive adequate treatment.
Sleep studies are painless and risk-free, but kids usually need to spend the night in a hospital or sleep centre.
During a sleep study the specialist sleep doctors will check various factors in relation to health, including:
- eye movements
- heart rate
- breathing patterns
- brain waves
- blood oxygen levels
- carbon dioxide levels
- snoring and other noises
- body movements and sleep positions
From all of these the sleep specialists will be able to give you a diagnosis and a treatment plan based upon the results.
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