How To Identify A Possible Toddler Sleep Disorder
Many people talk of a toddler sleep disorder being things such as simply not falling to sleep or waking in the night. It is actually much more than this. These attributes are sleeping problems which can be dealt with in a number of ways.
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A well known sleep disorder in children is sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing is interrupted repeatedly during sleep.
There are three kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is caused by a blockage; central sleep apnea, in which there is no blockage but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe; and mixed apnea, which is a combination of the two. OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea.
What causes obstructive sleep apnea?
OSA can be caused by anything that could physically block the airway and make it more difficult for your toddler to get enough air into his lungs. In children, enlarged tonsils or adenoids (the glands in the throat just behind the nose) are most often to blame. When your toddler’s muscles relax at night, these oversized glands can temporarily block air from getting to his lungs.
A child’s tonsils and adenoids may simply be a bit large naturally. In fact, sleep apnea is most common between the ages of 3 and 6, when tonsils and adenoids are at their largest compared with child-size airways. Tonsils and adenoids may also become enlarged from infection or allergies.
Other causes of airway blockages include being overweight and certain facial characteristics, such as a receding chin and a cleft palate. Children with Down syndrome and other congenital conditions that affect the upper airway have a higher incidence of sleep apnea. Over half of children with Down syndrome will develop obstructive sleep apnea.
How can I tell if my toddler has sleep apnea?
The list of symptoms for OSA is long. The most telling signs are snoring and difficulty breathing while asleep, often characterized by pauses in breathing. (Usually a pause is classed as ten seconds or more without breathing.)
Don’t jump to the conclusion that your toddler has sleep apnea if they snore, though; 1 to 3 percent of children have sleep apnea, while 7 to 12 percent of children snore, according to Gary E. Freed, D.O., a professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Sleep Laboratory at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Likewise, it’s possible to have sleep apnea without snoring.
You should be suspicious if your toddler breathes through their mouth most of the time (both at night and during the day), often coughs or chokes at night, is a restless sleeper, or sweats profusely when they are asleep. This can be a sign of a toddler sleep disorder.
Combined with any of the above symptoms, repeated night-wakings can be a sign of sleep apnea. Because children with sleep apnea have trouble breathing, they may stir more often, waking up to get the air they need.
If you think your child may have a toddler sleep disorder or sleep apnea, look to their daytime behavior for more clues. Toddlers with apnea are often sleep deprived, making them more prone to irritability, crankiness, and frustration. Your child may fall asleep at inappropriate times because they are so tired.
A child with sleep apnea is also more likely to have tonsil- or adenoid-related health problems. Your toddler may be growing more slowly than they should if he’s not sleeping long enough to benefit from the growth hormones that are released at night. they may also not be growing properly if they work so hard to breathe at night that they are burning up his calories. “It’s like running a marathon every night,” explains Freed.
What are the dangers of sleep apnea?
Most toddlers with sleep apnea have mild symptoms that they simply outgrow. But sleep apnea can result in problems with growth, learning, and behavior. In severe instances, it can cause heart and lung problems and high blood pressure.
What should I do if I think my child might have a toddler sleep disorder or sleep apnea?
Start by telling their doctor about it. The doctor should ask you about your child’s sleep habits and examine their upper airway.
If your doctor thinks that your toddler’s weight or allergies may be causing the problem, they may suggest dealing with those conditions first. The doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist), a pulmonologist (a lung specialist), a sleep expert, or an apnea expert.
The test that’s usually used to diagnose sleep apnea is called a polysomnogram. It monitors brain waves, eye movement, breathing, and oxygen levels in the blood, as well as snoring and gasping sounds during sleep.
One type of polysomnography is done in a sleep lab under standardized conditions and with continuous observation by trained sleep specialists. The other is a portable study that can be done at home, but it isn’t typically as accurate as the sleep lab study. Both are painless.
How is sleep apnea treated?
In 90 percent of cases, removing the tonsils and/or adenoids takes care of sleep apnea in children. Some children with obstructive sleep apnea need to use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which keeps the airway open by blowing air into the nose via a mask during sleep. (A CPAP doesn’t usually relieve the symptoms of central apnea.)
As mentioned previously sleep apnea is a main, well known toddler sleep disorder. There are a few others but share similar symptons. When in doubt please consult your doctor. Please remember not to confuse any of the regular toddler sleeping problems outlines in another of may pages with this form of toddler sleep disorder.
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