Sleep Apnea In Children: All You Need To Know

Sleep apnea in a child is a type of sleep disorder because of which the child will have pauses in his or her sleep. The parents of the child must immediately turn to sleep apnea diagnosis at home with the help of the modern home sleep apnea testing device, if they notice that their child is having any kind of sleep disorder. Some studies have revealed that almost four percent of children in the United States suffer from sleep apnea. Most of the children who suffer from sleep apnea are between the ages of two to eight years.

Types of sleep apnea that affect children
Obstructive sleep apnea: This is the most common type of sleep apnea and it is caused due to a blockage in the back of the throat or nose.
Central sleep apnea: When the part of the brain that helps in breathing doesn’t function properly, it fails to send the breathing muscles the normal signs to breathe. This causes central sleep apnea.
The main difference between the two types of apnea is the amount of snoring. As the airway is obstructed in obstructive sleep apnea, snoring is more in this type of apnea than central sleep apnea.

Symptoms of sleep apnea in children
The most common symptoms of sleep apnea in children are loud snoring, coughing and choking during sleep, breathing through the mouth, sleep terrors, bed-wetting, interrupted breathing. If a child doesn’t have proper sleep because of sleep apnea at night then he or she might have symptoms like fatigue, difficulty in waking up, tiredness during the days.
A child with Central sleep apnea might not snore, so if you ever notice that your child is having disturbed sleep or irregular breathing during night, immediately opt for a sleep apnea study at home after consulting a pediatrician and a sleep therapist.
Why sleep apnea happens in children
For the children who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, whenever they fall asleep, the muscles in the back of their throat collapse and it becomes hard for the child to breathe.
Sometimes overweight can also be the main reason for obstructive sleep apnea.
If a child has enlarged tonsil or adenoids, then the extra tissue can completely or partially block the airway resulting in obstructive sleep apnea.
Children who have a family history of sleep apnea or have certain medical conditions like cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, abnormalities in the skull or face might also have sleep apnea.
Children who were born prematurely or have some medications such as opioids might also have sleep apnea.

Diagnosing sleep apnea in children
If you suspect sleep apnea in your child, you must immediately consult a pediatrician who might refer you to a sleep specialist. Most sleep specialists suggest home sleep apnea testing with modern devices so that children can avoid having any kind of ill-effects from sleep apnea.
With the help of the modern home sleep apnea testing devices, the brain waves, oxygen level, heart rate, muscle activity, breathing pattern of the child is monitored. These home sleep apnea devices provide the accurate result of true sleep time and sleep architecture and the doctors start the treatment immediately based on those reports.

Treatment for sleep apnea in Children
There is no perfect timing for treating sleep apnea in children, but the doctors might not start the treatment in cases of mild sleep apnea and try different treatment for different patients.
The doctors might use reliable home sleep apnea testing devices to monitor the conditions of the children for some period of time to check if there is any improvement, as some children outgrow sleep apnea with time.
When tonsils or adenoids are the main reason for sleep apnea, then the tonsils and adenoids are removed with the help of surgeries.
In case of obesity the doctors suggest physical activities and provide other diet plans to treat sleep apnea.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy is a popular way of treatment in which the children wear machine masks which keep continuous flow of air to keep their airway open.
These are the various types of sleep apnea treatments for children depending on the different causes of sleep apnea. But even after the treatments or when the treatment is ongoing, home sleep apnea testing must be continued to keep an eye on the recovery rate of the child.

sleep apnea diagnosis at home