Sleep and Childrens' Behavior: The Important Link
March 10 2010.
Every parent knows the tale of the sleepy teenager. Follow the stereotype: They get home late and sleep until noon on the weekends, barely waking all day until evening is back again. Many assume their long rests come from staying up late and perhaps a bit of laziness.
While those factors may play a role, most adolescents get only an average seven hours of sleep a night, when they should be getting nine. That lack of sleep breeds the most obvious results of moodiness, irritability and daytime sleepiness.
Sound familiar? What parents may not know is that there is evidence that much more serious consequences can also arise.
Dr. Alice Stroe, of Sleep Diagnostics of Michigan, P.C., with an office in Petoskey, diagnoses and treats sleep disorders in children (2-18 years) as well as adults. She says that children who do not get enough sleep can exhibit increased behavior problems, such as noncompliance and a decrease in academic excellence.
"In many cases problems such as hyperactivity, behavior problems, poor attitude and memory loss in children are related to poor sleep," Stroe said.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also have a connection to sleep disorders. Parents of children struggling with ADHD should know that some data suggests a link between ADHD and sleep apnea, a medical condition in which patients have repeated pauses in breathing while sleeping. Sleep apnea is caused by a narrow airway, due to either enlarged tonsils and adenoids or fatty deposits on the back of the throat.
"Twenty to twenty-five percent of children with ADHD have a prevalence of sleep apnea," Stroe says. "And the ADHD can make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse."
In addition to sleep apnea, other sleeping conditions such as sleepwalking and restless leg syndrome can affect the quality of sleep a child receives. Symptoms of restless leg syndrome include aching and kicking legs during the night.
A patient with these symptoms would usually be referred to Sleep Diagnostics of Michigan by a family physician, although some parents make their own appointments.
The facilities at Sleep Diagnostics of Michigan are made to suit children and parents alike. Consultation rooms feature comfortable chairs and toys to put children at ease, while the sleep study rooms are cozy with plush carpet, a TV, and a private bathroom, in addition to high-tech equipment to help diagnose the patient. Cribs are also available and an extra bed allows parents to spend the night with their child.
When Stroe meets with a child and his parents for the initial visit, she puts an emphasis on teaching parents how to help their children get a good night's sleep.
"I do a lot of coaching with parents who just don't know how to put their child to bed," she said. "TV, Internet and video games before bedtime prevent children from getting to sleep."
Instead, she advises parents to develop a bedtime routine with their children to ensure they are staying on a consistent sleep schedule.
Around a quarter of Stroe's patients are children; not many sleep specialists treat young patients because children can offer more challenges than adults.
"Pediatric care is so specialized," said the firm's marketing representative, Catherine Wing. "Parents want top-notch care. That's what we do — we offer the best care so we can catch the problem and solve it now."