|
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.
|
