Believe it or not, sleep apnea and children are related. In fact, sleep apnea and everyone are related! The sleeping disorder is one of the few afflictions that know no age, race or gender. Equally affecting all, sleep apnea can kill you if left untreated. Sound extreme? I thought so, too, until I did a little research. It turns out, sleep apnea increases pulmonary pressures on the right side of the heart. This has the potential to cause a severe form of congestive heart failure. Who knew that sleeping could cause a heart attack? Certainly not me, until last week.
Sleep apnea and children were particularly saddening to learn about. To think that small children are having trouble breathing at night breaks my heart. Literally, those who have sleep apnea go without breathing for ten seconds or more in between snores. Usually, they end up audibly gasping for breath. After just one night of sleeping this way, the kids experience a blood oxygen desaturation of at least three or four percent. While this may not sound like much, it really makes a difference in one’s overall health. When you take a look at some of the symptoms and side effects of sleep apnea, they’re staggering.
Looking at all of the different ways that the sleeping disorder can affect the young, it’s easy to see that sleep apnea and children really don’t mix. After awhile, people who have it can begin to suffer from depression, anxiety attacks, paralyzing headaches and forgetfulness. Additionally, many young children who have sleep apnea are also diagnosed with failure to thrive. This is a direct result of food being tasteless and even uncomfortable to eat. Also, their physical stature can be effected. In many cases, children with sleep apnea grow up to have short and heavy necks.