Snoring and sleep disordered breathing aren’t just adult problems. Kids can have these problems too!

A study conducted in Finland found that almost 10% of children exhibited some type of sleep disordered breathing problem and that the rate was equal for girls and boys. The effects of snoring and breathing during sleep are a little different for children. Studies have shown that children with sleep disordered breathing are more likely to exhibit behavioral and emotional problems. Anxiety, hyperactivity and conduct problems are common. Children who exhibit aggressive or bullying behaviors are twice as likely to have some form of sleep-disordered breathing.

A recent study completed in the US looked at 12,000 children aged from six months to 6.75 years. This study found that 1 to 2 percent of children of all ages suffered from sleep apnea and as many as 21% of children were snorers. By age six, 25% of the children were breathing through their mouth during sleep.

Early intervention can help resolve or avoid many of the behavioral and social problems. If your child snores or stops breathing during sleep you should talk to your pediatrician. For many children the problem may be enlarged tonsils which can be resolved with surgery.

Unfortunately for adults with sleep breathing disorders or snoring, simple surgery like tonsil removal is not the answer. If sleeping with a CPAP is driving you crazy or if you have just given up treating your sleep apnea or snoring please contact Columbus OH sleep apnea dentist Dr. Mark Levy at 614-476-6696 today.