Sleep Disorders Can
Affect Children Too

Is your child often grumpy, forgetful, or has poor impulse control? Does your son or daughter wet their beds occasionally? If your child exhibits these behaviors daily, they may be suffering from poor sleep quality.

To determine whether your child’s sleep quality causes hyperactivity, lack of focus, and bed wetting, set an appointment with Sleep Perfection, the best sleep center in Tucson, AZ, today!

Urgent Signs Your Child Has Sleeping Problems

A kid’s sleep quantity will depend on their age, and sleeping less than the suggested hours isn’t an automatic indicator of sleeping problems. However, low-quality sleep will always affect a child’s behavior. These are the signs that your child is struggling to have a good night’s sleep:

  • Strange noises while sleeping
  • Waking up coughing, panicking, or screaming
  • Trouble staying or can’t fall asleep.
  • Finding difficulty getting up in the morning
  • Pauses in breathing while sleeping
  • Irritability
  • Easily distracted or have difficulties paying attention

Eye Opening Consequences of Untreated Sleep Issues for Children

Most people tend to neglect the possible signs of sleep-disordered breathing. However, untreated sleep issues can have negative consequences, regardless of age. Here are common tell-tale signs that your child has sleeping issues:

  • Sleep deprivation: Sleep-deprived children are moody, inattentive, and disruptive at home and school. Sleep deprivation can also affect a child’s classroom and athletic performance, ultimately declining their overall happiness. 
  • Snoring: Sleeping disorders, such as sleep apnea, can result in loud snoring. This can be problematic if your child shares a bedroom with their siblings, as it may affect everyone’s sleep quality.
  • Growth impairment: Children’s growth hormones are released every night. Since sleeping issues interrupt their sleep, hormone secretion is also affected, causing slow development and growth.

Unfortunately, the effects of sleeping issues go beyond the three symptoms. Numerous studies now show that sleep apnea can cause enuresis (bedwetting) and several of the same symptoms as ADHD in children.

ADHD Symptoms

Children with sleep apnea can have the following behaviors associated with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): 

  • Distractibility
  • Difficulty paying attention
  • Hyperactivity

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, 25% of children evaluated with ADHD may show symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Even if sleep apnea isn’t a significant problem in children, those with ADHD can have difficulties sleeping. So, it’s essential not to rule out sleep apnea as the reason for a child’s behavioral problems and learning difficulties.

Bedwetting

Around 80% of children with enuresis have OSA. This means that OSA is one of the major causes of bedwetting in children. If your child has untreated sleep apnea, they’ll have difficulties breathing at night. This results in their brain working harder to draw oxygen, which means it’ll slack off on controlling other bodily functions, like bladder management. Sleep apnea may also make it difficult for your child to wake up to urinate. You may even find it hard to wake your child up. 

How Sleep Perfection Evaluates Airway Problems in Children

Your child is prone to sleep apnea if they have these risk factors:

Overweight

Small airways in their mouth, nose, or throat

Enlarged tonsils

Venous pooling under the eyes

Have a family history of sleep apnea

As a leading dental expert in Tucson, AZ, Dr. Pandhi has the expertise to quickly spot sleep apnea symptoms in children. Sleep Perfection also has multiple screening options to specifically evaluate airway problems. An effective way to evaluate sleep apnea and other sleeping conditions are through a sleep study in Tucson, which involves monitoring your child’s vital signs while they sleep. If the results point to sleep apnea, Dr. Pandhi will suggest oral appliances specifically made for children to treat the condition. 

Expert Tips To Improve Your Child’s Sleep Quality

In addition to using dental devices for sleep apnea, you can also incorporate these tips into your routine to improve your child’s sleep quality:

  • Lessen or remove caffeine from your kid’s diet.
  • Give your child a warm bath before bedtime.
  • Darken and keep the temperate cool in your child’s room every night.
  • Consider other medical issues that can interrupt sleep, such as asthma or allergies.
  • Avoid sleep medications unless prescribed by a medical professional.
  • Motivate your child to exercise, but not right before bedtime.
  • Discourage them from watching TV, playing video games, or using any gadget before bedtime since the blue light can be stimulating.
mother and young boy with tongue out being evaluated by sleep doctor in Tucson AZ

Improve Your Child’s Sleep Today.

Dr. Pandhi and our team have extensive experience evaluating, analyzing and treating children with sleeping issues. As we all recognize the value of preventing airway concerns from causing significant harm to your child, we encourage you to call us immediately as soon as any effects of sleeping disorders become noticeable.