Kids sleep issues can have long-term impact on life trajectory

TAMPA, Fla. - Regardless of whether they are one year old, or 16 years old, poor sleep can be detrimental to a child.

"It can cause long-term changes in a child’s life trajectory," explained Dr. Luis Ortiz, a sleep medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. "So, if they don’t do well in school, they don’t do well in high school, they don’t do well in college. Their whole lives can take a different course based on how well they sleep."

According to Dr. Ortiz, up to 50% of all children may experience sleep problems at some point in their lives.

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Contrary to common belief, sleep apnea, typically associated with adults, affects up to 8% of children.

"With sleep apnea, you stop breathing and your brain wakes up to take care of the breathing," he stated.

File: Child sleeping

Effective treatment for sleep apnea often involves surgical removal of a child's tonsils and adenoids, although some may require the use of a CPAP machine.

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Night terrors, another disorder, can affect younger children. Dr. Ortiz described the symptoms, noting that children experiencing night terrors may appear awake, yelling and screaming, yet remain unresponsive when comforted by parents. While alarming, Dr. Ortiz reassured that night terrors are typically outgrown and do not indicate any underlying issues.

Narcolepsy, a disorder affecting older children, disrupts the balance between wakefulness and sleep.

"You can go to sleep, wake up feeling fantastic, refreshed, and then an hour or two later you feel like you haven’t slept in days, and you really need to go to sleep right now," shared Dr. Ortiz.

File: Teen sleeping

Children with narcolepsy may see a decline in academic performance, often leading to misdiagnosis of conditions like ADHD.

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Dr. Ortiz stressed that sleep disorders in children are challenging to diagnose but can have profound impacts on various aspects of their lives.

"Sleep is a big cross-section of your health, and it can affect so many different parts of your life and your health. Not getting enough sleep can really throw you off track," he warned.

Parents are urged to be vigilant and proactive in addressing sleep-related concerns in children to ensure their overall well-being.

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