What are some of the short-term consequences of sleep apnea in children?
The short-term consequence of it is very simple. If you have sleep apnea, you wake up after what is called unrefreshing sleep. You’re tired, you have difficulty with concentration, and you feel very groggy in the morning. Through the night children may wet their bed because they’re so anxious to sleep that whenever they feel the pressure to urinate, they don’t care. This may also lead to nightmares and night terrors. How does sleep apnea affect behavior and learning? Children with sleep apnea have difficulty concentrating, and they may, in many ways, behave as if they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For example, kids who don’t like to sleep resist sleep by becoming hyperactive. They start fighting with everybody, and then finally they crash. The next day, these kids are having difficulty paying attention and staying put, and behave as if they have ADHD. We have shown recently that a substantial number of children who are diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder have sleep a
