Childhood Problems
The Sleep Disorders Center is one of the few centers dedicated
to the evaluation of cardiorespiratory disorders in infants, children
and adolescents during wakefulness and sleep. The center is equipped
to diagnose and treat children with sleep-disordered breathing as
well as a variety of other sleep-related problems. Some of the more
common pediatric problems are listed below:
Snoring or Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Snoring or obstructive sleep apnea is a relatively common problem
in children. It can be seen in children of all ages from infants
to adolescents, but peaks between two to six years. There also seems
to be a secondary peak in adolescence. Boys and girls are equally
affected. Similar to adults, children with obstructive sleep apnea
will often develop symptoms of loud snoring, difficulty breathing
(their chest seems to suck in while trying to breathe), and intermittent
snorts and gasps. The disrupted sleep can lead to symptoms of excessive
sleepiness during the day (falling asleep in school). In some children,
the disrupted sleep will cause symptoms of hyperactivity, irritability,
difficulties in school. Other problems caused by obstructive sleep
apnea can include: failure to gain weight and high blood pressure.
All children are at risk to develop obstructive sleep apnea. Children
at increased risk include those children with large tonsils and
adenoids, children who are overweight, children with Down's syndrome,
children with craniofacial abnormalities, and children with neuromuscular
weakness.
Apparent Life-Threatening Events ( Near-Miss SIDS)
Infants with an apparent life-threatening event present for medical
attention because a sudden and unexpected change in behavior alarmed
the caretaker. The event can happen during wakefulness or sleep
or during feeding. The caretaker will often describe a change in
color, a change in body tone, choking or gagging. Most times it
is felt that the event was life-threatening to the infant. There
are many causes for these events including: infection, a seizure,
irregular heart beat, or gastroesophageal reflux. In addition, these
infants may require evaluation in the Sleep Disorders Center as
part of the evaluation to determine the cause of the event.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes people to have overwhelming
daytime sleepiness. It affects men and women equally. Although narcolepsy
can begin before the age of 10 or as late as the age of 50, gradual
onset between 15 and 35 years of age is usual.
Sleepwalking and Related Symptoms
Sleepwalking, talking, screaming, and other behaviors during sleep
may be frightening and disruptive to the family. All of these events
occur during a partial waking from non-REM sleep. Until age five
or six, most of these episodes are developmental. This means that
they are not usually caused by physical or emotional problems, but
instead are only reflections of the normal maturation of a child's
sleep stages. In an older child, these events can no longer be thought
of as developmental. Underlying emotional factors now are likely
to be relevant, especially if the arousals are frequent. For more
information, please refer to the book Solve Your Child's Sleep
Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber.
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