Sleep Apnoea and Snoring in Children

What is Childhood Sleep Apnoea?

• Sleep Apnoea or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a condition where a child repeatedly stops breathing during sleep
• These episodes last from 10 seconds to a minute
• Usually they occur because of an obstruction in the airways, most commonly due to big tonsils and/or adenoids

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnoea in Children

At Night-time

• Children with Sleep Apnoea almost always snore, struggle to breathe and have a restless sleep
• There may be frequent pauses in breathing and snoring lasting between 10 seconds and a minute
• The pauses may end with a gasping or choking noise and there may be a brief awakening as the child struggles to breathe
• There may be night sweats, mouth breathing, sleeping in unusual sleeping positions and morning headaches

During the day

• Children with sleep apnoea wake up feeling tired and unrefreshed
• They may feed poorly and fail to gain weight and grow
• Behaviour and learning problems during the day and poor performance at school may be the presentation
• In the long-term, if untreated, sleep apnoea can cause heart problems and high blood pressure which may in severe cases be life threatening

Causes of Sleep Apnoea in Children

• The most common cause of Sleep Apnoea in childhood is enlarged tonsils in the back of the throat and/or enlarged adenoids in the back of the nose
• Obesity is a risk factor for sleep apnoea in children, with snoring and other symptoms of sleep related obstructed breathing being more common in obese than in non-obese children
• Children with certain medical conditions associated with weak muscles or low muscle tone and enlarged tongue, such as Downs Syndrome
• Cranio-facial abnormalities which affect the tongue or airways, for example very small jaws or flat faces