Sleep Apnea In Children

According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, studies show that there is a relationship between sleep apnea in children and depreciation of cells that are involved in the cognitive processes of the brain. For the study, researchers monitored the sleep patterns of sixteen children from ages seven to eleven, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and scanned their brains with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). When compared with MRI images of children without sleep apnea, researchers found that there was a reduced amount of grey matter in the brains of the children with OSA especially in four cortices: frontal, prefrontal, parietal, and temporal, and the brainstem. Although the researchers were able to visualize the changes, they could not determine whether the affected neurons shriveled or completely disintegrated in the brain. Researchers also found out that sleep apnea on average causes one to lose about eight to ten IQ points. Even though there is need for more research in this field to further understand the impact of

Mainly common in infants and adults over the age of 65, sleep apnea can also occur when people have large necks or are overweight.

Individuals who experience sleep apnea often unknowingly wake up during the night in order to help themselves breathe better. Due to being deprived of sleep during the night, many suffer from daytime sleepiness which leads to loss of productivity, accidents, and socioemotional problems. Side effects of sleep apnea in adults include strokes, heart failure, high blood pressure, etc. This sleeping disorder can be treated by propping one’s head on a pillow, losing weight, or wearing a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP) that sends a continuous flow of air into the nose while