Has anyone heard very much about children's sleep apnea and behavior problems?

Question

My 8 year old son stops breathing on and off all through the night and he snores loudly. He gasps for air through out the night and wets to bed. He is also on medication for ADHD. I have heard there is a link between sleep apnea and ADHD symptoms. Does anyone else know anything about this?

Answer 1

yes i have heard of it. A good friend of mine has a child with adhd and when he was treated for his sleep apnea his behavior changes soooo much for the good.

I have sleep apnea...and when i was treated with a CPAC machine ( it helps you breath..looks like an oxygen mask)  I felt so much better! so I can only imagine how great a child would feel!

Talk to your doctor, I hope you see an improvement, sleep apnea can cause all kinds of problems including heart problems!

Answer 2

Has he had a sleep study done and had an ENT check his tonsils?  My son had sleep apnea because of the tonsils being enlarged and because of that he would wet the bed and be in a horrible mood during the daytime because of lack of real sleep. He still has behavioral issues but the sleep apnea is gone but they said he had it for so long it did enough to him to have a more lasting effect.  I would talk to the Dr about it and see if they can find a link.  I know they say lack of sleep can cause ADHD/ADD like symptoms

Answer 3

Yes, it sounds like sleep apnea, not ADHD, take him in for a sleep test with your pediatrician.  My wife has this and she used to stop breathing in her sleep for more than a 10 count when I noticed it and took her to the doctor years ago. In children this can cause bed wetting, fatigue, poor grades, and falling asleep during the day due to being poorly rested. This is why he pees at night, it's a reaction to being exhausted because of his apnea. Could be tonsils too, your pediatrician will let you know. The sleep test is usually all night and may be scary for him. He will be wired up like a robot and they will probably diaper him so that he can pee in his sleep. He will need you to get through this. I dropped my wife off at 9pm and picked her up at 6am the next morning. Maybe with a child they will let you stay with him. After his CPAP is issued, his bed wetting should go away, if it doesn't don't sweat it, lots of 8 yr old boys pee every night. And he will feel great. If you do not treat this he could damage his heart and brain. When he stops breathing his respiratory and circulatory systems are severely stressed. Don't wait, go asap. The mask also is scary to wear for a while. it forces air down his nose and throat with pressure. But after he gets used to it, he'll never be able to sleep without it again, and you will have added years to his life.

Answer 4

Yes, a friend of my daughter's was diagnosed with ADHD but then turned out to have sleep apnea.  His ADHD symptoms were severe enough that he ended up repeating a grade ... but when they removed his tonsils and the sleep apnea cleared up, so did the ADHD symptoms.  

It's very hard to concentrate if you haven't actually had a good night's sleep.  Definitely get the sleep apnea treated; it may make a substantial difference.

Answer 5

Apnea does not cause ADHD/misbehavior. Apnea just means that he stops breathing at night. I am 17 and I have apnea and I do not have ADD/ADHD and I am well behaved (never had a disciplinary problem at school, the usual things at home though). There is no connection that I can possibly see!

Answer 6

Go to your doctor immediatly! if you don't have a family doctor, contact a medicentre or hospital. sleep apnea can be VERY serious!