Do you snore? Have trouble staying asleep? Wake up tired? You are not alone! Almost 39 million men and women in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea. But it’s not a problem impacting only adults.
Up to 5% of children also suffer from sleep apnea -- even infants can have it. But just like in adults, kids with sleep apnea often go underdiagnosed or even misdiagnosed.
Infants need at least 14 hours of sleep, toddlers 11 to 14 hours, preschoolers 10 to 13 hours.
If your child is in elementary or middle school, they need nine to 10 hours of sleep, and teens should aim for eight to 10 hours.
If your child is not getting enough ZZZs, sleep apnea could be to blame.
“We know this from studies. We know that children with obstructive sleep apnea are anywhere from three to five times as likely to perform poorly academically, up to seven times as likely to have behavioral issues at school,” said pediatric neurologist Dr. Eric Viorritto.
But it is often misdiagnosed.
“Sleep apnea, especially in our school-aged children can look exactly like ADHD,” Viorrito said.
A report from the American Sleep Apnea Association suggests that as many as 25% of children diagnosed with ADHD may actually have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
“The longer it goes untreated, the more complicated their symptoms can be,” said Dr. Adam Rappaport a child neurologist at Nemours Children’s Health.
Obstructive sleep apnea causes snoring, daytime fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, mimicking many symptoms of ADHD.
But if sleep apnea is left untreated, it increases cardiovascular risk.
“Someone who’s gonna be 27, 28 years old and now struggling with health problems that could have been prevented, you know, that’s a real tragedy,” Viorritto said.
That’s why knowing the difference can make all the difference.
Most importantly, most kids don’t snore. So, if they do on a regular basis, parents should talk to their pediatrician. A correct diagnosis will involve an overnight sleep study.
Doctors say the first line of treatment for children is often removing their tonsils and adenoids.