Snoring Leads to Daytime Behavior Problems
July 1, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A study conducted several years ago found children who snore when they sleep are far more likely to have attention and hyperactivity problems than their non-snoring peers. Now, a follow-up to that research reveals even more insight. The new paper is the first to show sleep problems occur before hyperactive behavior.
The latest results come after a four-year follow-up with 229 children who are now between ages 6 and 17. Researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor say children who snored in the original study were four-times more likely to develop new hyperactivity. In other words, snoring early in life predicted new or worsened behavior problems four years later. Researchers say one group that included boys under the age of 8 who had the worst sleep-breathing problems were nine-times more likely to develop hyperactivity within the last four years.
“To our knowledge, this new study is the first long-term, prospective research to show that regular snoring and other clues to the possible presence of sleep apnea predict future development of inattention and hyperactivity,” says Ronald Chervin, M.D., M.S., the director of the U-M Health System’s Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory. “These findings strengthen the hypothesis that untreated sleep-breathing problems in childhood can contribute to the development of hyperactivity.”
Dr. Chervin says it’s important for parents to pay attention to their children’s sleep and their own. “Sleep problems in both children and adults are often undiagnosed, even though they can have a major impact on health, behavior, and quality of life. Getting enough sleep, adopting good sleep habits and seeking medical attention for issues such as habitual snoring, daytime sleepiness, and the breathing interruptions of sleep apnea can have a huge impact on the life of a child or adult.”
SOURCE: Sleep, 2005;28:746-751
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