Sleepless in San Antonio: What No One Tells You About Sleep Disorders in Children

Sleep is important.

If you don’t believe that, ask any parent, as we all can attest to the terrible, awful, no-good sleepless nights we trucked through with our newborns. To cope with the lack of this precious commodity, we often resort to sleeping in shifts or downing buckets of coffee. But can you imagine if your growing child also struggled with this poor quality of sleep?

Numerous studies and polls seem to indicate that children are not getting enough Z’s. However, there is a surprising lack of information as to the actual numbers. What we do know is that, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies (children four months to a year old) should sleep between 12–16 hours a day, toddlers (one- to two-year-olds) should sleep 11–14 hours a day, preschoolers (kids three to five years old) should sleep anywhere from 10–13 hours a day, and elementary students (six- to 12-year-olds) should log 9–12 hours a day. Sometimes the lack of sleep can be addressed merely by structuring the nighttime routine or removing TVs and iPads. But when conservative methods fail to address the problem, what should you do?

A few things did work for us and several didn’t. Some of the things we tried to get our child the sleep she needed: essential oils, magnesium spray, special pillows that help with head positioning, melatonin as prescribed by our pediatrician, warm milk before bed, sound machines, and weighted blankets. But ultimately, our child fought sleep because her body told her she wouldn’t breathe when it needed to.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is actually more common than you’d think. It is estimated that 30% of children with characteristics of ADHD actually have OSA. OSA occurs when the body stops breathing during sleep for at least 10 seconds. It can be caused by anatomical abnormalities such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids, obesity, family history, and/or a previously existing medical diagnosis. Maybe it’s the snoring you’re hearing, the daytime sleepiness, or the strange sleeping positions you find your child in, but if you are concerned with your child’s sleep, it is best to discuss it with your trusted pediatrician and, as always, listen to your gut.

When I noticed some red flags, I asked for a sleep study and was told that if the snoring didn’t happen all the time, it wasn’t anything to be worried about. Sirens went off in my head as I watched behavior issues pop up, nonstop yawning, and a hyper-crazy kid who woke at 4:00 A.M. and could never fall back to sleep. We received a second opinion, and the sleep study results were shocking: severe obstructive sleep apnea. Our child stopped breathing so often the pulmonologist was certain it had affected her growth. This was just the start of our journey.

When we found ourselves discussing some sleep concerns with our ENT, I didn’t know where to turn for helpful advice on preparing our child for a sleep study. I asked some friends who have sleep apnea and began a search online for videos and images of equipment we would come across. With the help of Google images, I created a story about the steps we would take when we arrived to the sleep study center, and we reviewed it nightly for a week. We also changed the name of some of the equipment to make it child friendly. These stories can be reassuring for both child and parent, as this was new for us too. Pack your nighttime comforts (the child’s, that is—you, the parent, aren’t going to get any real sleep), such as a pillow, lovey, or sound machine, and arrive at the sleep center. You and your child should be prepared for the lengthy process of setting up the equipment for the study. Your child will have wires covering his/her head as well as monitors on their chest and possibly even legs. The technician will routinely come into the room throughout the night for adjustments as well. The hardest part, in my opinion, is getting the gunk they use for the electrodes out of your child’s hair. No real trick to it, just dish soap, warm water, and patience.

While surgery helps correct some anatomical causes for OSA, there are some children who require the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A CPAP provides pressure to open up the airway during sleep. A mask (“princess nose”) attaches to the CPAP (“dream machine”), and it has become our best hope for restorative sleep. Half the adults I know that are prescribed a CPAP are non-compliant (aka: they don’t use theirs), so how exactly does one get a young child to get used to sleeping with such a machine attached to her? We have a sleep routine that includes yoga and meditation. We have used some children’s books and even modified a few so that our favorite princesses sleep with their dream machine on.

Using the dream machine is part of our routine, just like brushing teeth; we take it on vacation and only take a night off for the occasional sleepover. And it changed everything for our child.

Participation and grades started to improve immediately with the use of the dream machine. We had fewer emotional outbursts, less impulsivity, more growth, and more joy. Sleep deprivation and disorders are very serious and often undiagnosed problems, but we found a team of doctors to guide us through them. I am so grateful I followed my gut.

Danielle
Danielle is a minivan-driving, Rick Ross-listening, wannabe Whole 30-eating mama to three little blessings. Born and raised in Florida, she is a Texan by marriage to Zach, whom she wooed with her passion for college football (go, Gators!). Their oldest is seven and rocking an extra chromosome, while their middle daughter is just extra in all things, like the red glitter tutu she insists on wearing 24/7, and their new baby boy is everything she never knew she always wanted. Danielle recently decided she will be on maternity leave for the next 18 years but continues to enjoy her work as a Speech-Language Pathologist in addition to the SAHM position. She is a passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities and enjoys discussions on chakras, faith, and The Walking Dead.

1 COMMENT

  1. Another superb blog from Danielle. Interestingly this subject is so new for so many and often glossed over with they’ll outgrow it, just a phase and many other cliches. Understanding sleep apnea is so important and especially for the child. Excellent and informative. Most importantly, listening to your Gut (Mom instinct) is great advice. Looking forward to your next blog.

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