Does your child snore? Do they have attention and/or behavior problems? If you answered yes, we should chat.
First and foremost, I am a mother—a mother to two beautiful, very active fraternal twins. When my son was about 11 months old I noticed he snored. He snored when he took a nap and overnight. He snored and he snored. Being that I am a sleep doctor I knew what I was dealing with; but being a mother, I was scared to come to terms with it. I was so scared to diagnose my son with something. I asked family members and friends; to most, his snoring was “cute.” They all told me stories about how all the kids they knew snored. They all assured me that everything was fine. Although, deep down I knew something was wrong.
After perhaps staying up with my son for many months, listening to his snoring and making sure he continued to breath, I had him evaluated for sleep apnea. Sure enough, he had sleep apnea and we treated him. Fortunately, for my son (and my future patients) after one night of treatment he was better. As he continued treatment he continued getting better. He started feeding better, gaining weight appropriately, had decreased reflux symptoms, and his mom got more sleep as well. He was less cranky. He was a happy baby again.
Sleep Apnea symptoms in children can include snoring, daytime sleepiness (needing naps after the age of four), very restless sleep and sleeping in unusual positions, heavy breathing, weight problems (can be increased or decreased BMI), symptoms of reflux, and behavioral problems.
When a child is sleep deprived it can lead to symptoms that are identical to what is seen in ADHD. We are now seeing many children that have been misdiagnosed with ADHD when in fact they have OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea). Once the child’s OSA is better they are better.
Any parent who is dealing with a child who has poor sleep should seek out a sleep physician. There are multiple treatment options available that will help to get your child sleeping well and you getting the relief you need.
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