Sleep apnea in children is a widespread issue that leads to a break in the child’s breathing rhythm during sleep. This interruption in breathing occurs due to a blockage or obstruction in their airway, or because their brain fails to signal their breathing muscles.
When the brain notices a drop in the amount of air reaching the body, it will prompt the lungs to start breathing. This could lead to the child waking up often during the night. It’s comparable to waking up when you hear your phone ring while asleep. Upon hearing it, you might wake up but quickly go back to sleep instead of picking up the phone.
These short pauses can disrupt the child’s sleep cycle. Consequently, the child might feel more fatigued during the day.
You might hear your child’s doctor or nurse call it paediatric sleep apnea when discussing this condition.
There are three types of paediatric sleep apnea:
This is the most prevalent type of sleep apnea in children. It happens when your child experiences a blockage in their breathing passages.
This is an uncommon form of sleep apnea. It typically impacts infants. It occurs when a baby’s brain struggles to send signals to the muscles that control their breathing.
This represents a type of primary sleep apnea. It happens when a child with obstructive sleep apnea starts using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device for treatment and then develops central sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is widespread. Globally, it’s believed that about 1 billion individuals suffer from sleep apnea. In children, obstructive sleep apnea affects anywhere from 1% to 5% across all age groups, from new-borns to teenagers. The peak period for childhood obstructive sleep apnea is typically between the ages of 2 and 6.
Although it’s typically seen in children, untreated sleep apnea in kids can be risky and result in several problems:
Alterations in your child’s sleeping schedule could impact your child’s behaviour, emotional resilience, and school achievement.
The signs and symptoms of childhood sleep apnea may include the following, which happen during sleep:
In the daytime, you might observe the following actions, which could be hints that your child is suffering from sleep apnea:
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