The term "sleep like a baby" may be a thing of the past. More and more children are being diagnosed with sleep disorders.

That has some parents turning to sleep clinics for help.

12-year old John Mitchell is sleeping soundly now, but that wasn't always the case. 

"It must have been within the last year or so where he would sleep and he would start to snore a lot," says his mother Linda.

Worried that his snoring was a sign of something serious, Linda Mitchell took her son to see a pediatric pulmonogist. 

"John came and had a lot of symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. He had daytime symptoms, including sleepiness. He had poor level of functioning at school," says Dr. Rupali Drewek, a pediatric pulmonologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.

To find out for sure if John had sleep apnea, Doctor Drewek had him come to a sleep clinic. 
 
"We did see that he was having oxygenation problems at night due to his sleep disorder." 

While john's symptoms included sleepiness during the day, doctors say some kids may actually exhibit hyperactivity. 
 
"A lot of kids who are diagnosed with ADHD were started on stimulants actually are misdiagnosed. And we uncover sleep disorders and once the sleep disorder is treated, the ADHD resolves."

Catching sleep disorders early is key.
 
"Undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea for many years can lead to pulmonary hypertension and the cardiac side effects are something that can kill you." 

John's catching his z's now with the help of a c-pap. The machine opens his airway and helps him breathe easier.

Doctor Drewek says parents have to make sure their kids have a good sleep routine. Young kids and teens need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. And if your child snores every night or has trouble waking up in the morning, take them to see their doctor. It could be sleep apnea.

AUDIENCE INQUIRY:
For referral to a nearby sleep center, visit the American Academy of Sleep Medicine at http://www.sleepcenters.org

For general information on sleep disorders:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
National Sleep Foundation, http://www.sleepfoundation.org
 

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed