We all know that growing children are bound to get sick, thanks to germs around the playground and exposure to classmates; however, illnesses, such as the flu or chicken pox, are rarely life threatening or highly consequential. Unfortunately, even at a young age, children can suffer from serious sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea. Though it doesn’t seem likely, studies have shown that adolescents can also suffer from sleep apnea the associated sleep disturbances could cause future consequences in all areas of life.
During adolescence, the body is continuously growing and changing physically, socially, and physiologically. This means a child’s sleep cycle will already begin to naturally change during this time; as adolescent children tend to have later bedtimes, which means they tend to wake up later in the morning. A changing sleep schedule combined with other bodily changes is a lot of new cycles for the body to adapt to at once. Continuously interrupted sleep can cause plenty of consequences – not to mention the fact that a lack of quality sleep often leads to tired days.
A continuously changing sleep cycle often leads to poor emotional response in both adults and children. People who are able to sleep more at night usually respond well to certain situations, both physically and emotionally. With this said, it’s clear that sleep plays a part in our daily emotional and mood functions, which means that it is possible for sleep apnea and mood disorders to be linked. It isn’t too far-fetched to say that sleep apnea could cause a patient to suffer from anxiety and depression.
At the same time, a lack of quality and quantity of sleep has been connected to poor performance, especially at school; after all, lack of sleep is known to make a person tired and unable to concentrate, which can lead to poor grades.
Undergoing a sleep study is the only way a patient can be diagnosed with sleep apnea. Sleep studies are administered by sleep physicians who examine the results and determine a diagnosis. If you are given a positive diagnosis of sleep apnea, treatment is important. Work with Dr. Siegel to learn about the many different types of sleep apnea treatment that are available today. Schedule an appointment by phone or through email.
