Helping kids breathe, sleep, learn and live better!
Does your child snore?
Does your child show other signs of disturbed sleep: long pauses in breathing, much tossing and turning in the bed, chronic mouth breathing during sleep, night sweats (owing to increased effort to breathe)? All these, and especially the snoring, are possible signs of sleep apnea, which is more common among teens and children than is generally recognized.
Sleep disorders, such as problems falling asleep and sleep apnea, affect your child’s ability to get the sleep needed for good growth development and overall health. Sometimes, problems with sleeping contribute to learning, mood and behavior troubles during the daytime.
LEARNING & BEHAVIOR
Studies have suggested that as many as 25 percent of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may actually have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and that much of their learning difficulty and behavior problems can be the consequence of chronic fragmented sleep. Bed-wetting, sleep-walking, retarded growth, other hormonal and metabolic problems, even failure to thrive can be related to sleep apnea. Some researchers have charted a specific impact of sleep disordered breathing on functions of the brain.
FACTS
• Over 2 Million children suffer from sleep disorders.
• Sleep disorders area major cause of children’s daytime school and behavioral problems.
• Childrenwith Down Syndrome are at big risk of sleep apnea.
SYMPTOMS
• Snoring
• Failure to thrive (weight loss or poor weight gain)
• Mouth breathing (not using nose)
• Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
• Restless sleep
• Excessive Daytime sleepiness
• Cognitive and behavior problems, including difficulty paying attention, aggressive behavior and hyperactivity, at home and in school
HEALTHY HAPPY CHILD
Remember that sleep apnea in children is a serious disorder that can result in health issues and behavior and academic problems if left undiagnosed and problems will get worse.
Every parent wants what is best, and that starts with a healthy happy child.
SLEEP ISSUES IN TEENS
With diagnoses of teenage mood disorders on the rise, many parents are faced with a tough decision as to what treatment to seek for their child. Recent studies indicate that successful treatment may include treatment for an underlying cause of mood disorders: sleep apnea.
Last month, a University of Arizona study, presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston, stated that sleep apnea causes teens to experience social problems, leading to behavioral and learning problems as well. According to lead author Michelle Perfect, assistant professor of disability and psychoeducational studies, if sleep apnea remains untreated, it will negatively affect a teenager’s ability to manage and control their emotions, behaviors, and social interactions. Such behaviors make it difficult for the teenager to be successful in school, to care for themselves, or to handle themselves in a socially appropriate manner.
A Harvard Medical School study published earlier this month indicates that one in twelve teenagers has an anger disorder. The new study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, is based on a survey of more than 10,000 teenagers and parents, which found the disorder starts early in life, by age 12 on average, and is two-to-three times more common in boys than girls.
Because teenage years can often be marked by a roller-coaster of emotions, teen mood disorders can be difficult to discern from everyday anger, frustration and sadness that come with being a teenager. But according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, studies have shown that on any single day, 2 percent of school-aged children and about 8 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression.
According to the Mayo Clinic, teen depression often occurs along with behavior problems and other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Several recent studies have linked depression with sleep apnea. A study published this year, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that the likelihood of depression in study participants increased along with the rate of gasping and stopping breathing while sleeping. A Cleveland Clinic study, presented at the annual SLEEP 2012 conference this month, shows that use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also linked with improving depression symptoms.
Nearly 21 million adults in the U.S., just under 10 percent of the total population, have a mood disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. For most people, symptoms start to appear around age 30, but according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood.
Please call us to get kind and expert help : 818.789.0203
Does your child show other signs of disturbed sleep: long pauses in breathing, much tossing and turning in the bed, chronic mouth breathing during sleep, night sweats (owing to increased effort to breathe)? All these, and especially the snoring, are possible signs of sleep apnea, which is more common among teens and children than is generally recognized.
Sleep disorders, such as problems falling asleep and sleep apnea, affect your child’s ability to get the sleep needed for good growth development and overall health. Sometimes, problems with sleeping contribute to learning, mood and behavior troubles during the daytime.
LEARNING & BEHAVIOR
Studies have suggested that as many as 25 percent of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may actually have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and that much of their learning difficulty and behavior problems can be the consequence of chronic fragmented sleep. Bed-wetting, sleep-walking, retarded growth, other hormonal and metabolic problems, even failure to thrive can be related to sleep apnea. Some researchers have charted a specific impact of sleep disordered breathing on functions of the brain.
FACTS
• Over 2 Million children suffer from sleep disorders.
• Sleep disorders area major cause of children’s daytime school and behavioral problems.
• Childrenwith Down Syndrome are at big risk of sleep apnea.
SYMPTOMS
• Snoring
• Failure to thrive (weight loss or poor weight gain)
• Mouth breathing (not using nose)
• Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
• Restless sleep
• Excessive Daytime sleepiness
• Cognitive and behavior problems, including difficulty paying attention, aggressive behavior and hyperactivity, at home and in school
HEALTHY HAPPY CHILD
Remember that sleep apnea in children is a serious disorder that can result in health issues and behavior and academic problems if left undiagnosed and problems will get worse.
Every parent wants what is best, and that starts with a healthy happy child.
SLEEP ISSUES IN TEENS
With diagnoses of teenage mood disorders on the rise, many parents are faced with a tough decision as to what treatment to seek for their child. Recent studies indicate that successful treatment may include treatment for an underlying cause of mood disorders: sleep apnea.
Last month, a University of Arizona study, presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston, stated that sleep apnea causes teens to experience social problems, leading to behavioral and learning problems as well. According to lead author Michelle Perfect, assistant professor of disability and psychoeducational studies, if sleep apnea remains untreated, it will negatively affect a teenager’s ability to manage and control their emotions, behaviors, and social interactions. Such behaviors make it difficult for the teenager to be successful in school, to care for themselves, or to handle themselves in a socially appropriate manner.
A Harvard Medical School study published earlier this month indicates that one in twelve teenagers has an anger disorder. The new study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, is based on a survey of more than 10,000 teenagers and parents, which found the disorder starts early in life, by age 12 on average, and is two-to-three times more common in boys than girls.
Because teenage years can often be marked by a roller-coaster of emotions, teen mood disorders can be difficult to discern from everyday anger, frustration and sadness that come with being a teenager. But according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, studies have shown that on any single day, 2 percent of school-aged children and about 8 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression.
According to the Mayo Clinic, teen depression often occurs along with behavior problems and other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Several recent studies have linked depression with sleep apnea. A study published this year, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that the likelihood of depression in study participants increased along with the rate of gasping and stopping breathing while sleeping. A Cleveland Clinic study, presented at the annual SLEEP 2012 conference this month, shows that use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also linked with improving depression symptoms.
Nearly 21 million adults in the U.S., just under 10 percent of the total population, have a mood disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. For most people, symptoms start to appear around age 30, but according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood.
Please call us to get kind and expert help : 818.789.0203