Sleep Disorders in Children
Health and Wellness » Sleep Apnea Care in India » Sleep Disorders in ChildrenSleep problems are the common problems which many kids experience. Some children may suffer from chronic sleep difficulties, while some may go through their days sleep-deprived. There are some sleep disorders in children which may be stubborn and need to be treated by a doctor.
Diagnosis
Sleep disorders are usually diagnosed by a sleep specialist or a pediatrician. Most of the parents are worried about their child’s sleep problems which they may want to discuss with their child’s physician. If your pediatrician cannot recognize the sleep disorder or you are not satisfied after meeting your child’s physician, then it is always good to consult a sleep specialist who will guide you properly.
At school, the school psychologist or a social worker might help you to diagnose if there is any type of sleep disorder through an evaluation process. School is the place where your child spends most of the time. The interview should have questions like bed time routines, normal sleep patterns, bedtime and wake time and the frequency of nightmares. The side effects of the sleep disorder can be observed in school like irritability, hyperactivity, lack of concentration and other such types of effects.
Signs of Sleep Disorders in Children
- Breathing pauses during sleep are observed
- Snoring problems with sleeping through the night
- Unexpected unfair performance at day time and difficulty staying awake during the day.
- Unusual events during sleep
Types of Sleeping Disorders
Night Terrors
Night terrors are the types of sleeping disorders observed in children. The night terrors are sudden and are associated with emotional outbursts, motor activities and fear. This is occurred most commonly in children of age 4 to 8. The child has no memory of the night terror once fully awake. If your child experiences night terrors, make sure the child is comfortable and do not wake him/her. In serious conditions, the night terrors may need medical intervention.
Nighttime Bedwetting
This is a common sleep problem in children of age 6 to 12. It is related to the family history of the problem with lower bladder capacity and developmental lag. Emotional distress is again associated with nighttime bedwetting problem. Responsibility training, bladder control training, conditioning and in rare cases, medications are given to the children suffering from nighttime bed wetting problem.
Sleep Walking
Sleep walking is common in children of age 8 to 12. The child sits up in bed with eyes open, but is unseeing and may walk through the house. He/she cannot talk and is unintelligible. In most cases, children will outgrow sleepwalking by adolescence. For such type of disorder, it is necessary to take safety precautions by using the first floor bedroom and locking the doors from inside the bedroom to avoid any mishap. To reduce or treat the problem, you should awake your child on a regular schedule.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is more common in adults, but it is observed in 1 to 3 percent of children. These children experience difficulty in breathing due to the obstructed air passages. The symptoms are difficulty in breathing during sleep, snoring, mouth breathing during sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness. In children, this type of sleep disturbance is not taken seriously. Most of the children benefit from removal of adenoids and tonsils. If this does not show positive results, then the condition is treated by a physician with a procedure known as continuous positive airway pressure.
Sleep Onset Anxiety
Sleep-onset anxiety refers to difficulty in sleeping due to more of worries and fears. This problem is caused due to stressful events and trauma. This type of problem is common in older elementary school children. Intervention includes calming bedtime routines, reassurance and in few cases, cognitive behavioral therapy which is made to help children develop strategies to know and address their worries.
Narcolepsy
It is a rare, dangerous and neurologically based genetic condition which includes sleep attacks, sleep onset hallucinations and sleep-onset paralysis. It is mostly seen in 1 of every 2000 adults and might appear in adolescents too. If this disorder is seen in children, it is necessary to take advice of a sleep specialist. The treatment of 12 hours of sleep per night or more is said to be given to the child. In some cases, medication is also given if necessary.
These are the various sleep disorders in children which may differ according to their age.