Does your child suffer from obstructive sleep apnea?

Many people assume that snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the domain of slightly overweight, middle aged men inclined to overindulge in food and booze. 

Surprisingly up to 5% of young children suffer from OSA, and many more snore*. OSA is when there is a pause in breathing during sleep. The pause can be from 10 seconds to over a minute, and may occur hundreds of time during the night. 

The negative health consequences of OSA for adults also apply to children, including a higher risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. However, it’s the behavioural and academic consequences that grab initial attention. OSA can increase aggressive behaviour, irritability, unexplained fatigue and poor grades in school**.

If your child has 3 or more of the following, chances are they may have OSA and you should check with your doctor.

1. Does your child sleep with their mouth open?

2. Does your child still wet the bed, even after they are toilet trained?

3. Does your child sleep with their neck extended, or head tilted back?

4. Does your child snore?

5. Does your child wake up tired?

6. Does your child suffer from night terrors or nightmares?

7. Does your child grind their teeth at night?

Snoring and OSA are signs of dysfunctional or overbreathing. Breathing retraining, including the Buteyko method, helps to restore breathing back to healthy normal. Find out more at www.myotape.com.au & www.mimbeim.com

*https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18250218/

**https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26631839/