Children’s Behavior With Bad Sleep

Sleep Habits in Children

The amount of uninterrupted sleep a growing child gets directly influences their behavior. At Orcutt Family Dentistry, we work to maximize the amount of uninterrupted sleep for our patients so that they can be happier and behave more like themselves. It is critical to diagnose sleep apnea in children as early as possible so that it doesn’t impede their behavior. If your child has healthy sleep habits, they are more likely to be a happy child.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea in Children

At Orcutt Family Dentistry, we try to diagnose sleep apnea in the early stages so that our patients can live a long, happy life without the need of lifelong sleep apnea treatment. The first step in diagnosing sleep apnea is completing our children’s sleep habits questionnaire. We will review the results, and if needed, we’ll ask your child to complete a take-home sleep test. Once we have all of the data, we will discuss options with you and your child to find the best solution for their needs.

How Sleep Apnea Affects Behavior

Sleep apnea is directly related to a child’s behavior because if a child isn’t getting a good night’s sleep, they will likely be cranky and moodier. Poor quality sleep means daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability and mood swings. Sleep apnea has been linked to elevated rates of ADHD-like behavioral issues in kids, in addition to learning and adaptive problems.

Kids with persistent sleep apnea were shown to be seven times more likely to have parent-documented learning issues and three times more likely to earn a grade C or under. Orcutt Family Dentistry take sleep apnea in children very seriously because they know first-hand how it can affect a child’s behavior and overall happiness.

If you suspect your child may have sleep apnea, please contact our office to learn more and schedule an appointment. We are passionate about healthy sleeping habits in kids and treating the symptoms early on. To learn more about sleep apnea click the button below.