Sleep Disorders Center For Sleep Disorders, Lack Of Sleep, Sleep Behavior Disorder, Problem Sleep, Sleep Center, Stages Of Sleep, Sleep Problems

"Although it has been known for some time now that children with sleep apnea often produce poor scores on IQ tests (typically scoring an average of 85 to a score of 101 children without sleep apnea), which has not been known until recently is that it causes chemical changes in the brain. This means that also an intelligent child can turn in a mediocre performance because of nothing more than a sleep disorder which, in most cases can be fairly easy to treat.

In a study of children Hopkin Center in Baltimore, 31 children aged between 6 and 16 (19 of them had severe sleep apnea) were examined using a special form or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and found that children with sleep apnea showed significant changes in both the hippocampus and right frontal cortex - two areas of the brain associated with learning and higher mental functions. The same study found that children have changed level of three chemicals in the brain, indicating brain damage.

This change in brain chemistry caused by the presence of sleep apnea may or may not be permanent and at this stage, further studies are needed to see whether or not this effect can be reversed. However, even if reversal is possible and brain chemistry and cognitive function can be returned to normal children with sleep apnea suffer a loss in learning, provided they are suffering from untreated sleep apnea and will certainly not able to wind back and find this learning period.

Parents should, of course, already looking for signs of sleep apnea in their children, but this study clearly indicates that early diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders that could have a significant effect of a child succeed in life.

Signs of sleep apnea are frequent pauses in breathing during sleep, which often leads to an awareness of sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children may also display strong or breathing difficulties, snoring, coughing, panting and occasional bedwetting at an age when this phase should normally have passed. Parents may also notice a child sleeping in an uncomfortable position, perhaps sticking their ass in the air and head back in an unconscious effort to force the airway open.

In most cases of sleep apnea in children can be treated by surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or nose. In addition, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can also be used to provide children with a stream of air delivered through a mask worn during sleep to keep airways open.

Sleep apnea is in itself debilitating effects for each child and lack of sleep each night will mark on your child. However, when combined with a compromised IQ of your child, it becomes imperative that you act as soon as possible to have the disease diagnosed and treated.