It is a serious health condition where the flow of air in the upper respiratory system gets obstructed for some reason, and makes it difficult to breathe
Recently, a friend of mine was very upset when we happened to meet up. When I asked her what the matter was, she told me her son was not well, and both she and her husband had failed to see the signs.
When I asked her in detail, she told me that it all started with a little bit of snoring, which they found cute in their young child. Initially, they assumed it was something the child had inherited from his father, and they would often casually joke about it. However, when it did not get better, they assumed it was due to a blocked nose, and gave him some over the counter medicines.
But the child’s condition did not improve.
Soon, the child started complaining about feeling sleepy while waking up for school in the morning, and would often miss the school bus. My friend was visibly angry with him then, and scolded him each day. But even if he went to bed on time, he just would not be able to sleep properly, and ended up missing school.
A few weeks later, they were called at school, where the teachers told them their son was becoming more and more distracted in class and was not focusing on anything. Also, he was not able to concentrate and would often sit tired in class.
That is when they decided to take him for a proper medical check-up and the diagnosis was something they had not guessed about even once.
The little boy had sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
It is a serious health condition where the flow of air in the upper respiratory system gets obstructed for some reason, and makes it difficult to breathe. In severe cases, breathing can stop. If not treated on time, it can lead to other serious health issues, as well as turn life-threatening too.
Signs in your child you should watch out for at night
- Snores 3 or more nights a week
- Breathing is interrupted with gasping, snorting or even pausing for a few seconds in between
- Sweating during sleep
- Restless while sleeping, fling arms and legs a lot, move positions a lot, sleep in abnormal positions, head is placed at abnormal angles or tipped back extensively
- May occasionally wet the bed if they are too old for it, or may frequently wet the bed if they were recently not doing so and are fully toilet trained
Signs in your child you should watch out for in the day
- Very sleepy and tired
- Is not able to wake up in the morning
- Daydreams or loses focus a lot
- Has problems with social, behaviour and learning related aspects
- Has severe mood swings, is irritable, easily upset, aggressive, rebellious (behaviour they would not show earlier)
- Speaks with a nasal tinge
What to do
The first step is to immediately take your child to the doctor and not take this lightly. Many big hospitals offer proper sleep treatments including child sleep apnea. The doctors there will advise about the next treatment plan and direct you accordingly.
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