St. Luke’s Sleep Institute
Children and Sleep
Obesity, Sleep Apnea, and ADHD in Children
Some 13 percent of children aged 6 to 11 and 14 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 19 are overweight. The ever-increasing waistlines put children at risk for heart disease, Type II diabetes, and high blood pressure. Those extra pounds also put children at risk for sleep apnea
– a serious, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening sleep disorder. While obesity is a risk for developing sleep apnea, children who are not overweight can also have the condition due to enlarged tonsils.
The repercussions of sleep apnea and poor sleep for children are vast. When children do not get the sleep they need, they are at risk for health, performance, and safety problems; difficulties in school are often the result. However, sleep deprivation in children is often overlooked or attributed to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other behavior disorders. Inattention and hyperactivity among general pediatric patients are associated with increased daytime sleepiness and (especially in young boys) snoring and other symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing.
Parents should be aware of nighttime and daytime symptoms of sleep apnea. If you suspect your child has sleep apnea, his/her symptoms should be discussed with a pediatrician or a physician trained in sleep disorders medicine.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Children
Nighttime:
- Snoring
- Breathing pauses during sleep
- Restless sleep
- Mouth breathing
Daytime:
- Difficulty getting up in the morning, even after getting the proper amount of sleep
- Hyperactivity
- Difficulty with concentration
- Sleepiness
- Behavioral problems
