Sleep Apnea in Children

When children suffer from sleep apnea it can cause daytime drowsiness and attention and behavioral problems.  If your child suffers from obstructive sleep apnea it means that the muscles in the linings of the throat relax more than they should.  This causes the windpipe to collapse which obstructs the flow of air to the lungs for a period of seconds.

Once the air blockage occurs the child becomes restless and suddenly awakens which causes the muscles in the throat to stiffen.  When the muscles become firm this process opens up the air passage again so the child can breathe normally.  The problem is typically caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoid abnormalities and commonly occurs in children of ages three and older.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Children

Although sleep apnea in children is similar to adults there are additional symptoms in children that can only be detected through medical diagnosis or by close monitoring of the child’s behavior on the part of the parents.

• Tonsils and Adenoids:  During routine pediatric examinations ask your child’s pediatrician to examine the tonsils and adenoids for any abnormalities.  If the tonsils and adenoids are enlarged this provides excess tissue in the air passage of the throat allowing air blockage to occur during sleep when the throat muscles are relaxed.  If your child appears to have problems sleeping this could be a factor in causing sleep apnea.

• Intermittent Snoring:  If you monitor your child’s sleep habits and discover intermittent bouts of snoring that is followed by periods of silence where breathing appears to be non-existent, this is a sign of sleep apnea. Especially if the episode is followed by a gasp or snort which allows normal breathing to continue.

• Breathing from the Mouth:  If your child tends to breathe frequently from the mouth this could be a sign of blocked or swollen air passages that lead to sleep disturbance and sleep apnea.

• Difficulty Falling Asleep:  If your child has trouble falling asleep at night this could relate to obstructions in the air passages which cause the child to start falling asleep only to be awakened shortly after as a result of breathing obstructions.

• Irritability:  As a result of restless sleep that is related to sleep apnea your child may begin to show signs of irritability.  They may not realize that irritability has developed but if you monitor your child closely you will be able to determine if the irritability is an isolated case or it has increased over a period of time.

• Daytime Drowsiness:  If your child complains about being consistently tired during the day this could be a sign of restless sleep at night which would be related to sleep apnea.  Try keeping track of the number of times your child mentions being tired and then examine the log after a specified period of time.

• Decreased Attention Span:  A reduction in attention span is often related to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) however, before you or others draw conclusions, sleep apnea should not be ruled out as a possibility.  Daytime behaviors in young children are very much related to sleep disorders.  Make sure you rule out the possibility of sleep apnea before considering ADD as the root of the problem.

• Hyperactivity and Problems at School:  If your child exhibits symptoms of hyperactivity at school, has difficult paying attention in class, and overall has problems in school, these problems could be directly related to a sleep disorder and sleep apnea.  Although most children are automatically diagnosed with ADD or ADHD it is worth your time to take a second look to ensure it is not related to a sleep disorder.

As a parent it is important to keep a close watch for some the symptoms of sleep apnea in children since the symptoms that you observe will play an important role in diagnosing sleep apnea in your child.  In addition to the symptoms that you notice, sleep apnea will also be diagnosed by the size of your child’s tonsils and adenoids. 

Your pediatrician may also recommend conducting a sleep study which involves having your child stay overnight in a sleep center so medical professionals may monitor and record their sleep patterns.  The sleep study includes monitoring heart and breathing rates, body movements during sleep, and overall behaviors that occur during sleep cycles over the course of a night.  Additionally, if you child has allergies or any other conditions that cause nasal obstruction these conditions will be addressed during the sleep study as well.