Sleep Apnea in Children

Does your child….

Snore, Snort, Cough, or Choke at night
Wet the bed
Mood swings or night terrors
Sleep Apnea
Teeth Grinding
Mouth Breathe
Difficulty paying attention
Restless sleep

You may not think much about your child snoring or breathing through their mouth, but we do! If your child is dealing with ADD, struggling to keep up in school, or has trouble getting to the bathroom in the night, you may not be too concerned about a little snoring. But breathing disorders in children, such as sleep apnea, could be the root cause of these other issues!

Symptoms of breathing disorders include:

Fatigue
Snoring
Bruxing (clenching and grinding of teeth)
Mouth Breathing
Attention Deficit Disorder
Bedwetting

Sleep is incredibly important, especially for children as they grow and develop. Breathing disorders can cause a reduced amount of oxygen to reach the brain while sleeping, which makes the body and mind feel fatigued and can trigger the brain to go into a reactive state of hyper alertness which in turn can lead to ADD.

But there is GOOD NEWS! Catching this problem early on can allow us to treat the breathing disorder once and for all. Typical treatment for breathing disorders in children involves braces and an expander and usually takes about 12 months. The use of an expander allows us to expand the palate (roof of the mouth) allowing more room for airflow. It also develops the palate to allow room for the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth which will allows the palate to develop in a normal manner. In extreme cases, surgery to remove the tonsils or adenoids may be necessary to create more breathing room.

Breathing disorders can cause a lot of problems for kids, from behavioral to developmental issues, and can even lead to health complications as an adult. But with proper treatment in childhood, breathing disorders can be corrected for good!