The connection with daytime performance and behavior
A growing number of studies confirm what parents and teachers have known for generations: good sleep is vitally important for children. In the past decade, the field of sleep medicine has made great progress in recognizing the important linkage between a child’s quality and quantity of sleep and daytime function. Pediatric sleep specialists have established beyond any doubt that how a child sleeps has tremendous impact on cognitive performance including learning, memory, and organizational skills, as well as general health.
Inadequate or disturbed sleep often results in impaired alertness, inattentiveness, easy distractibility, and behavior problems. In contrast to adults, some children with daytime sleepiness manifest hyperactivity, fidgety behavior and impulsivity. These problems may cause parents or teachers to wonder if the child has the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), when the underlying problem may be inadequate sleep or possibly a sleep disorder.
One of the more common causes of sleep disturbance in children is the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Individuals with this problem usually breathe normally during wakefulness but experience recurrent obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. Loud or recurrent snoring is usually present, and the child may even stop moving air for a period of time. This is followed by a sudden return of airflow, occasionally associated with a gasping or choking sound or jerky movements. These recurrent breathing problems are often associated with a transient drop in blood oxygen concentration and brief arousals from sleep, leading to a fragmented sleep pattern. The individual may be hard to wake up in the morning, or may awaken feeling unrefreshed and groggy. In children, this problem is commonly associated with enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and in a large proportion of cases, tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy results in marked improvement in sleep and daytime function. Less commonly, the child may have upper airway obstruction due to other factors such as sinus disease and craniofacial anatomic abnormalities. Children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation are at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
When there are concerns about a child’s sleep or daytime alertness, an evaluation should begin by consulting with the child’s physician so that an appropriate evaluation can be performed and treatment begun. As parents and teachers have known for years, children learn and perform best when they sleep well!
The Methodist Healthcare Sleep Disorders Center is an award-winning sleep facility accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The Sleep Center specializes in sleep disorders affecting patients of any age. For more information, please contact the Sleep Center at (901) 683-0044.
Merrill S. Wise, M.D.
Pediatric Sleep Medicine Specialist
Methodist Healthcare Sleep Disorders Center
