Sleep Disorders are slowly being recognized as major factors in human illness and premature death.

Sleep Disorders are any condition that prohibits or affects sleep and may be MEDICAL or PSYCHOLOGICAL

The signs and symptoms in children include

1. Bedwetting
2. Crooked teeth
3. Worn teeth caused by bruxism (grinding or their teeth)
4. Headaches
5. Hyperactivity (ADHD)
6. Mouth breathing
7. Dry Lips

10% of children snore.

Of those 10%, 33-50% will have sleep apnoea if tested in a sleep study.

Snoring in children is not like snoring in adults. A wheeze or whistle or heavy breathing in a child is snoring (or more correctly obstruction)

Children with untreated sleep apnoea will be 10-15 IQ points below their potential.

A child who snores is 4 times more likely to be in the bottom 25% of the class.

A child with sleep apnoea is 9 times more likely to be in the bottom 10% of the class.

48% of patients diagnosed by a sleep study with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea had been started on stimulant medication for ADHD

Yes the earlier sleep apnoea is treated in children the better.

Don’t ignore snoring in children, Have your GP Doctor or GP Dentist refer you to an ENT for an assessment. The ENT will organise a sleep study if indicated

Large tonsils and high narrow palate are correlated with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. If you see it in a child, be suspicious.

Don’t just wait for the child to turn 12 and then seek help. You will have missed the intellectual boat.

If a child snores from 2-6 then stops they are 2.5 times more likely to be in the bottom 25% intellectually. That means while they were snoring during that period the damage was done.

If a child snores from 2-6 and THEN has Tonsil and Adenoid removal they are 4X more likely to be in the bottom 25%. Obviously there OSA was severe enough for someone to notice that they needed their tonsils and adenoids removed

ADHD is often misdiagnosis of OSA. If your child have ADHD patients check out their tonsils and find out if they snore and organise an ENT consult.