{"id":300,"date":"2023-08-01T18:33:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T18:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/?p=300"},"modified":"2023-10-01T18:35:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T18:35:37","slug":"symptoms-of-sleep-apnea-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/01\/symptoms-of-sleep-apnea-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Children Have Sleep Apnea?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-301\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Sleeping child hugging a stuffed animal\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/child-sleeping-2.jpg 1676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Obstructive sleep apnea affects 18 million Americans, which causes frequent breathing disruptions. Contrary to what you might believe, it doesn&#8217;t just affect adults. 7% to 9% of children have a sleep-related breathing disorder, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/what-is-sleep-apnea.html\">sleep apnea<\/a>; however, up to 90% of cases aren&#8217;t diagnosed because symptoms can be subtle. Here\u2019s how to spot the signs of childhood sleep apnea, so your little one can sleep peacefully.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of Childhood Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Children can suffer from 2 types of sleep apnea: obstructive or central. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there&#8217;s a blockage in the nose or throat, which is why loud snoring is often a symptom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Central apnea is the result of incorrect signals sent from the brain to the muscles responsible for breathing. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, central usually doesn\u2019t cause snoring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both types can cause a variety of symptoms, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coughing or choking while sleeping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pauses in breathing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Breathing through the mouth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sleep terrors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bedwetting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sleeping in odd positions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Symptoms of sleep apnea can appear during the day, too. Pauses in breathing interrupt your child&#8217;s sleep cycle. Poor sleep quality can lead to irritability or difficulty concentrating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers have also found a link between untreated sleep apnea and hyperactivity. Children may also suffer from growth delays, heart problems, or cognitive issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treating Childhood Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every situation is unique, so there&#8217;s no cookie-cutter treatment. It&#8217;s not unusual for some children to outgrow sleep apnea. They may be monitored by a physician to ensure there is an improvement. Their physician may also recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lifestyle Changes:<\/strong> Obesity increases the risk of sleep apnea. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help your child maintain a healthy weight.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nasal Steroids:<\/strong> Nasal steroids reduce inflammation in the nose to make it easier to breathe.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Surgery:<\/strong> Large tonsils or adenoids can contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. Their physician may recommend surgery to remove them if other treatments fail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CPAP Therapy: <\/strong>A machine delivers a gentle stream of air pressure through a mask worn over the mouth and nose to keep the airway open.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oral Appliance:<\/strong> An oral appliance repositions your child&#8217;s jaw and tongue to prevent an obstruction in the airway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ensure a Good Night&#8217;s Rest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality sleep is important for your little one&#8217;s mental and physical wellness. Don\u2019t let sleep apnea affect their health, development, or quality of life. If your child shows signs of the disorder, contact their physician for a sleep study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Dr. Jay A. Nelson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/meet-dr-nelson.html\">Dr. Nelson<\/a> earned his dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has continued his education in dental sleep medicine. He is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">Request an appointment<\/a> through our website or call (813) 694-1580.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Obstructive sleep apnea affects 18 million Americans, which causes frequent breathing disruptions. Contrary to what you might believe, it doesn&#8217;t just affect adults. 7% to 9% of children have a sleep-related breathing disorder, like sleep apnea; however, up to 90% of cases aren&#8217;t diagnosed because symptoms can be subtle. Here\u2019s how to spot the signs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":302,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300\/revisions\/302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepbetterflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}