Complications of Sleep Disorders in Children Clarified at Cleveland Sleep Dentistry

Occurring more often than many people realize, sleep disorders in children pose serious health risks. Dr. Pecenka and Dr. Herald have over 30 years of experience successfully treating the dental causes of these problems in both children and adults. Tooth or jaw malformation, improper development, or injury may cause a variety of sleep disorders, including pediatric sleep apnea and grinding of teeth. Sleep disordered breathing, which can range from snoring to airway obstruction, affects more than one in five children.

On average, children need nine hours of sleep per night. Like adults, when deprived of adequate rest, children can suffer from fatigue, difficulty focusing, decreased strength, and impaired mental performance. However, unlike adults, many children become restless, or even hyper, when sleep deprived. Sleep disorders may cause or aggravate ADHD in children. More than one third of all children with ADHD snore habitually. It has been estimated that, in over 75 percent of those cases, if the snoring were alleviated the ADHD would be cured.

Children suffering from sleep problems act out more often, perform poorly in school, and are more likely to suffer faulty coordination resulting in accidents and injuries. In addition to the current risks to your child's health, inadequate sleep for an extended period can have an impact on healthy development, cause social and emotional withdrawal, and decreased learning capacity.

It is estimated that over two million children suffer from sleep disorders, though the condition often goes undiagnosed by physicians. In a study by the Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital in Michigan, two different general pediatrics clinics failed to diagnose sleep disorders in 28 percent of afflicted children.

Common signs of sleeping disorders in children include snoring, frequently waking, bedwetting, fatigue, and pauses in breathing during sleep. If your child displays symptoms of a sleep disorder, you can trust Dr. Pecenka and Dr. Herald to work with your physician for an accurate diagnosis, and provide comfortable dental alternatives to CPAP. Both you and your child will feel at ease with the family atmosphere, friendly staff, and excellent quality of care provided by Cleveland Sleep Dentistry.