As we have all learned, kids can have sleep disorders too. Pediatric sleep disorders have been linked to behavioral and speech problems in earlier studies. Now a study of British children involved in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (a large group has been followed since 1992 providing data on how genetics and the environment affect health and development) suggests that educational development is also affected.

This study, completed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, shows that sleep disordered breathing and other sleep problems during the first 5 years of a child’s life are associated with an increased chance that the child will have special education needs at 8 years old. “This highlights the need for early screening, because early treatment is often effective for sleep disordered breathing and behavioral sleep problems.

Symptoms of sleep disordered breathing such as obstructive sleep apnea include: frequent or loud snoring, choking or gasping noises during sleep, stoppages of breathing during sleep and extreme daytime sleepiness. Overweight individuals and those with a large neck size are more apt to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is treated using a CPAP machine or an oral appliance. Many patients find sleeping with the oral appliance much easier and more comfortable than dealing with the masks and hoses that accompany the CPAP machine. Children who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea may respond to surgery for enlarged tonsils. Surgical treatment for the disorder in adults is typically not effective in the long run.

For more information about treating obstructive sleep apnea with an oral appliance please contact Columbus, OH sleep apnea dentist Dr. Mark Levy of StoneRidge Dental Care at 614-476-6696 today.