Children's Behavior Improves if Treated for Sleep Apnea
Children behave differently if they lack sleep and even at a young age they can have sleep apnea. The condition is not only an adult problem but children also have this sleep disorder. Those who have obstructive sleep apnea become sluggish and tired during daytime leading to problems in focusing at school and play. The quality of life for these children has been affected.
This sleep disorder happens when there is a blockage of the air flow during sleep. This will result in stoppage of breathing for a very brief period. This can happen many times in a night and can be. An effective remedy for such condition is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. Although there are FDA restrictions for use with children, older kids can now use the CPAP for sleep apnea. The device forces air through a gas mask worn over the nose.
The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care reported that such treatment had very good results with children and that behavior issues were lessened since the children sleep better with no disruption. Carol Marcus, researcher and professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said that “The main message is that treatment, although it may be difficult to tolerate, can result in a significant improvement in childhood behavior symptoms and quality of life.”
The only difficulty shown when it comes to children using the CPAP device is that they find it inconvenient and may take it off during the night. The studies conducted did show that 3 hours of continuous CPAP already show benefits. This conclusion was strengthened by a study of 52 children with obstructive sleep apnea, with an average age of 12, with 10 of them having development problems. For a 3-month period the children used the device at least for 3 hours a night. Significant improvements were noticed. Their attention span became longer, behavior became better and they were less sleepy during day time. The longer they used CPAP the better their quality of life. Even those who were having development problems showed good results.
Sleep disorders in children are not a very common. Obstructive sleep apnea usually occurs when a child has an upper respiratory tract infection. The tonsils enlarge and cause a block on the airways. When a child’s sleeping hours is less than what he or she should have it can have negative effects. Sleep deprivation causes poor attention span, bad behavior, sleepiness and hyperactivity.
Parents should have their child checked up if they notice problems in sleeping. This can surely affect the quality of life. Focus is something a child needs to have for schoolwork. Sleepiness is a symptom of sleep disorders and should not be taken lightly.
