Snoring may seem like nothing to worry about. But when that happens along with snorting and gasping, it could be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can impact your child’s life in many ways.
At UVA Health Children’s, our sleep specialists can diagnose obstructive sleep apnea. If your child has sleep apnea, we offer a wide range of treatment options.
Diagnosis & Treatment for Pediatric Sleep Apnea
When children can’t sleep well, it affects every part of their life. Kids referred for sleep apnea also often deal with:
- Learning delays
- Daytime sleepiness
- Poor attention
- Irritability
- Conduct issues
If their sleep apnea has been ongoing, they may also have:
- High blood pressure
- Weight gain
- Right-sided heart murmur
Sometimes, these symptoms, a physical exam, and your observations are all we need for a diagnosis. But we may also decide to do a sleep study.
What’s a Sleep Study?
In a sleep study, our experts use sensors to measure your child’s sleep quality indicators. These are measurable signs of disrupted sleep patterns. Examples of sleep quality indicators can include:
- How often your child moves
- How often your child wakes
- Your child’s blood oxygen levels
Our sleep specialists also use brain sensors. These are attached with a removable adhesive. Then, we can see how deeply your child is sleeping.
These signs show us whether your child is getting restful sleep. And, if their sleep issues are being caused by sleep apnea.
Pediatric Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
There are many ways to treat sleep apnea in kids. How we treat your child depends on:
- How disruptive their sleep apnea has been
- How long it’s been going on for
- How likely it is to go away on its own
- What it’s being caused by
Sometimes sleep apnea is caused by environmental allergens. If that’s the case, dealing with the allergy is the best way to treat the apnea. It can also have added benefits.
Sometimes apnea is the result of enlarged tonsils. When that’s the case, the best treatment option is often a tonsil removal, known as a tonsillectomy.
Some of the ways we treat sleep apnea in kids include:
- Removing their tonsils (tonsillectomy)
- Treatment of allergies
- Using positioning aids while sleeping
- Addressing other wellness goals, like weight and sleep hygiene
- Using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device.
CPAPs keep airways open by sending air through a mask. This pressure makes it easier to breathe and improves sleep quality. There are many different types of CPAP devices sized for children. We’ll work together to help you find the right device for your family.
A Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Obstructive sleep apnea isn't just snoring, it affects breathing. When the brain isn't getting enough oxygen, there can be serious side effects. Some have lifelong impacts.
Support at Every Stage
Our sleep medicine clinic has the full support of the rest of the children’s hospital. That means we can easily talk to other experts we think can help your child. That might include:
- Allergy experts
- Integrative health doctors
- Endocrinologists
- Genetics
Or any other specialists that may be helpful
We’ll walk you through your treatment options and make sure you have what you need for each step.
Our child life experts and psychologists can help explain to your child why their sleep apnea is being treated. If surgery is needed, they can also talk to you and your child about the procedure in child-friendly language.
Sleep Apnea FAQs
Here are the answers to some of the questions we hear the most often.
Sleep apnea is just snoring, right?
No. When most people snore, they’re just breathing noisily. For people with sleep apnea, they’re having brief episodes of not being able to breathe.
What if my child’s snoring isn’t that loud?
Some people with sleep apnea don’t snore at all. “Apnea” just refers to them not breathing briefly. For some kids, that’s very quiet.
Our sleep study equipment instead relies on measurements like oxygen levels and rate of breathing.
Can we just wait it out?
Some kids do grow out of sleep apnea. For others, it can become a lifelong condition (especially if their apnea is caused by allergens or overly large tonsils). Dealing with it early can help your child avoid the worst side effects, like heart damage.
Your doctor can help you decide if waiting it out makes sense for you.
When do most kids develop sleep apnea?
Typically, it first shows up between the ages of 2-6. Then, it often reappears in the teenage years.
What are the risk factors for sleep apnea?
While sleep apnea can happen to anyone, it’s more common if your child has a risk factor like:
- Large tonsils and adenoids
- Obesity
- Down’s syndrome (Trisomy 21)
- Craniofacial abnormalities
- Neuromuscular conditions