Some 13 percent of children aged 6 to 11 and 14 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 19 are overweight. The ever-increasing waistlines put children at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. But there is another problem, often overlooked, accompanying the grim statistics from the U.S. Surgeon General's office. Those extra pounds also put children at risk for sleep apnea, a serious, debilitating and potentially life-threatening sleep disorder, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
Sleep apnea is characterized by brief but numerous involuntary breathing pauses during sleep. These breathing pauses cause awakenings throughout the night, making it impossible for sleep apnea sufferers to enjoy a night of deep, restorative sleep. People with sleep apnea often feel sleepy during the day and their concentration and daytime performance suffer. While being overweight or obese are risk factors for sleep apnea, being thin does not preclude a diagnosis.
Sleep apnea, generally considered a problem among middle-aged men, can be a problem for youngsters, too. "With the increasing rates of obesity in children, it's likely there will also be an increase in sleep apnea," said Jodi A. Mindell, PhD a pediatric sleep expert and member of NSF's Board of Directors. Dr. Mindell is a professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Children's Hospital.
The repercussions of sleep apnea and poor sleep for children are vast. When children do not get the sleep they need, they are at risk for health, performance and safety problems; difficulties in school are often the result. However, sleep deprivation in children is often overlooked or attributed to attention-deficit or behavior disorders.
