Healthy sleep is essential to a child’s growth and development. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come easy to every child, and for some children, that difficulty stems from an undiagnosed pediatric sleep disordered breathing condition, like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, a disorder that obstructs a person’s airway and decreases airflow to the lungs while they sleep, can affect people from infancy to adulthood. Learn more about how this disorder presents itself in children and how kids with the diagnosis can lead happy, healthy lives. Symptoms Parents know that no two children are the same. Likewise, sleep disordered breathing in children is varied. While snoring and teeth grinding are big indicators, there are “quiet” symptoms that are sometimes missed. Instead of snoring, your child may just change positions to reopen the airway when it becomes limited. Because of this movement, children with the disorder may wake up upside down or backward on the bed with all the blankets on the floor. Bedwetting, night sweats, and night terrors are also indicators. Some children with sleep apnea compensate for the exhaustion by becoming hyperactive, while others nap often. Another sign is if teachers warn that the child is having trouble focusing in school. Options If you suspect your child is at risk, ask us for help. Your first step will be to schedule an appointment with your child’s physician. They can order a sleep study to determine the correct diagnosis. Children with sleep apnea have many treatment options available. Some patients may benefit from having their tonsils or adenoids removed, while others may need help with “growing the airway” and making space for the tongue with orthodontics. Additionally, most pediatric patients benefit from retraining and toning the muscles of the airway to improve resting posture. It’s important to remember that any one of these symptoms by itself may not indicate sleep disordered breathing in your child. However, if there are multiple signs there, it may be a trend that begs for investigation. A sleep study can give us an objective picture. It’s an easy test and will definitively allow doctors to make a diagnosis. At Highland Springs Dental Care, our goal is to help you and your family find peace of mind through diagnosis and treatment options. Schedule a consultation or learn more about how we can help your family by calling 951.769.1616. Sudoku
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