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Sleep Disorders In Children by MANGALA NADKARNI, M.D. MEDICAL DIRECTOR, THE KAZMIR CENTER FOR SLEEP DISORDERS AT SAINT BARNABAS MEDICAL CENTER
Among these are “sleep walking,” sleep terrors and nightmares. Sleep walking and night terrors occur during deep sleep, usually within the first one to two hours of falling asleep, and are considered disorders of arousal (i.e. parasomnia).Such conditions tend to run in families but can worsen with certain conditions, such as fever,overtiredness or when a child is taking certain medications, especially sleep walking, can sometimes become safety issue and need to be treated appropriately. In some cases parasomnia can be triggered by sleep disordered breathing (SDB). One of the symptoms of SDB is snoring. Snoring is common in children and approximately 7-10 percent of them snore every night, although only 1 percent of children snore because they suffer from SDB. Some of the other signs of possible SDB include: 1.) Restless sleeping. 2.) Daytime fatigue despite sufficient sleep. 3.) Sleeping in an awkward position such as knees pulled to the chest with raised buttocks. 4.) Cessation of breathing during the night for a short period of time.5.) Attention-deficit disorder or ADHD symptoms. SDB is common in children with Down’s syndrome and craniofacial abnormalities. Neurologically-impaired children are also prone to sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, seizures during sleep and the inability to maintain sleep. Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder that is often misdiagnosed. Symptoms of narcolepsy in children include: excessive daytime sleepiness with fragmented nighttime sleep; sleep paralysis where person can be awake but is unable to move; dreams at sleep onset; and episodes of sudden falls with emotional excitement. Obesity, a growing epidemic in America, is a major risk factor for sleep apnea or SDB. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are also one of the common causes of sleep apnea and SDB. Talk to your pediatrician or sleep disorder specialist if your child exhibits any of the symptoms described above. In order to make a definitive diagnosis, sleep specialists must observe your child while she/he sleeps. That means you and your child can have an overnight stay together in The Kazmir Center’s comfortable accommodations. A definitive diagnosis ensures accurate treatment. Then your child can move on to a restful and refreshing sleep. General Therapeutic Principles for Irregular Sleep Patterns:
To reach The Kazmir Center for Sleep Disorders at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, please call(973) 322-9800. [ top ] |
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Sleep disorders affect people of all ages and both genders, and have many faces. Some disorders can be as simple as a problematic sleep habit. For example, a young child may fall asleep only under certain circumstances, such as rocking,feeding or replacing the pacifier. On the other side of the sleep disorder spectrum are serious conditions such as those discussed below.
