Despite the old adage, "sleeping like a baby," we know that children are at risk for many of the same sleep disorders as adults. Sleep-disordered breathing is a problem among children -- even very young children. This news reveals some of the negative consequences of untreated sleep-disordered breathing in children.
In a study of the sleep, breathing and behavioral development of more than 11,000 children, researchers at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that those children with sleep-disordered breathing were more likely to develop behavioral problems and emotional problems, and also to have greater difficulty with peer relationships.
Researchers relied on information gathered from parent questionnaires. Parents answered questions about their children's sleep and breathing, starting from the time their children were 6 months old, and repeating regularly until their children were nearly 7 years old. Parents also provided information about their children's behavioral and emotional development, in questionnaires given when children were 4 years old, and again at age 7. The behavioral and emotional development issues addressed included:
Conduct issues, including aggressiveness and rule-breaking Positive social behaviors, including sharing and helpfulnessResearchers found that children with sleep-disordered breathing were significantly more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems than children without disordered breathing.
- Children with sleep-disordered breathing were 40 to 100 percent more likely to have behavioral problems by the age of 1 year.
Hyperactivity was the behavioral issue that increased the most with disordered breathing, but all behavioral problems showed significant increase. Children with the most severe behavioral problems also had the most persistent sleep-disordered breathing throughout the six-year evaluation periodThe results of this large-scale study provide strong evidence of a link between sleep-disordered breathing and behavioral problems. But these results don't tell us why sleep-disordered breathing is likely to be affecting children's behavior and emotional development. The scientists who conducted the study believe that several factors may be involved. These factors include:
- Decreased oxygen (and increased carbon dioxide) to the child's brain during periods of breathing-disordered sleep
A lack of restorative sleep Changes to body chemistry and cell development as a result of sleep deprivation and/or the disordered breathing itselfWhat, exactly, is sleep-disordered breathing? It's actually a group of conditions, each of which interrupt or diminish airflow. Sleep-disordered breathing conditions include snoring, mouth breathing and sleep apnea. These may seem like issues for adults only, but in fact they're all-too-common problems for children as young as toddlers, and even younger. This recent study found sleep-disordered breathing in children as young as 6 months. Observing children ages 6 months to 6.75 years, the study found:
- Chronic sleep apnea among 1 to 2 percent of children at all age levels
"Habitual" snoring among as many as 21 percent of children An increase in the frequency of snoring in children between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years Mouth breathing in 25 percent of children by the age of 6Recent research, including this latest study, is giving us a clearer picture of the negative effects of sleep-disordered breathing and poor sleep on child development and behavior. Other recent research has shown:
- Children who exhibit aggressive behavior at school are twice as likely to have a sleep-disordered breathing condition as children who don't show aggressive behavior.
Children with sleep-disordered breathing are more likely to have cognitive deficits compared to children without breathing disorders. These deficits existed regardless of the degree of severity of the breathing problem. By the time kids reach adolescence, sleep problems are associated with a long and troubling list of risky and unhealthful behaviors, including fighting, smoking cigarettes and marijuana, drinking alcohol and coping with feelings of sadness, hopelessness and suicide. This is a critically important area of study that needs more attention. The more we know about how sleep-disordered breathing affects children's behavioral, emotional and intellectual development, the better we'll be at stepping in to treat and prevent the problem before it becomes serious.
As parents, there are some basic, and important, steps you can take to help protect and improve your children's sleep:
- Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Regular bedtimes, and nighttime routines that help a child prepare for bed, are a critical part of helping our kids develop strong sleep habits.
Make their bedrooms sleep-friendly. I can't say this enough: Keep the electronics out of the bedroom. Kids' bedrooms should be dark, quiet places for rest -- not a haven for television, video games, laptops and cellphones. Talk to you doctor. Make sleep a regular part of the conversation with your child's physician. Get specific -- ask your pediatrician about sleep-disordered breathing, and what steps to take if your child is exhibiting symptoms.Sleep-disordered breathing in children, no matter how mild it appears, should never be ignored. By addressing these issues before they become serious, we can help keep our kids sleeping well and growing well.
Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com
Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep™
twitter: @thesleepdoctor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesleepdoctor
For more by Dr. Michael J. Breus, click here.
For more on sleep, click here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
