5 Reasons Why You Should Consider A Sleep Study For Your Child

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Once thought to affect mostly the aged, sleep disorders are starting to become common among younger people as well. 

In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly 25-50% of all children and 40% of teenagers experience some type of sleeping problem. That’s more than just a bunch of sleepy grade-schoolers!

Keep reading to find out 5 reasons why you should consider a sleep study for your child and what the study entails.

To figure out if behavioural issues are caused by inadequate sleep

There’s a reason why paediatricians place so much emphasis on good quality sleep. A lack of sleep in children often leads to a slew of behavioural issues like irritability, tiredness, memory and learning problems, and difficulties in paying attention. 

Learn more: how to help your child get the best sleep.

If your child is showing any of these symptoms, poor quality sleep could be to blame and the best way to confirm this is to conduct a sleep study.

According to some studies, inadequate sleep may even increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety in children. 

Along with mental health deterioration, a lack of sleep can also increase the chances of physical health deterioration as tiredness causes decreased motivation and energy throughout the day.

To diagnose suspected sleep apnea

Sleep studies can also be useful in diagnosing common childhood sleep disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). 

This condition involves pauses in breathing during sleep and can cause snoring, choking, gasping for air, and disruption of sleep.

If your child snores at night with occasional pauses and has poor quality sleep, OSA could be a likely cause. 

In children, this condition often occurs due to enlarged adenoids or tonsils, obesity, or allergies. 

If left untreated, it can lead to abnormal development and growth, behavioural issues, learning problems, bed-wetting, daytime sleepiness, and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

To evaluate parasomnias 

Parasomnias are a group of sleep disorders that are associated with unnatural and abnormal movements, emotions, behaviours, dreams, and perceptions that occur during sleep.

A common parasomnia in children includes sleepwalking. And although it may provide some really funny and interesting stories, the uncontrollable movements it causes can harm your child.

Another embarrassing and messy parasomnia that many children suffer from is bed-wetting. The causes of these unwelcome bladder slips — also known as nocturnal enuresis — may include anxiety and emotional issues, allergies, or infections. 

Your family paediatrician may make a preliminary diagnosis for parasomnia but will often refer you to a sleep specialist to further evaluate the condition and perform a sleep study.

To understand the cause of your child’s insomnia

Insomnia is the inability to stay or fall asleep when there are no other sleep-disrupting factors such as stress over an approaching event, poor quality mattress, or an irregular sleep schedule. 

Symptoms of insomnia aren’t usually short-term and tend to occur regularly and constantly. To determine the root cause of your child’s lack of sleep, a sleep study might be necessary.

To find out why your child is always tired during the day

No matter what time your child sleeps or wakes up, constantly being tired and lethargic could be a sign indicating that there’s something else going on.

Perhaps your little one suffers from a “circadian rhythm disorder” where sleep doesn’t come easily because their internal clock is out of sync with their schedule. 

Or maybe they suffer from a condition called Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), which involves repetitive limb movements during sleep, and causes sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness.

The only sure-fire way to find out would be to perform a sleep study and discuss your child’s sleep woes with a specialist.

What does a sleep study entail?

When you’re at the clinic and your child is settled in, the sleep technician will:

• Place multiple sensors on your child in different areas such as the head, face, chin, chest, stomach, arms, legs, and around the eyes
• Put an elastic band around your child’s stomach and chest to monitor breathing and heart rate

These sensors are used to record important data during sleep. This includes:

• Heart rate
• Breathing patterns
• Brain waves (EEG)
• Eye movements
• Blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
• Snoring or other noises
• Sleep positions and body movements
• Sleep stages

Oftentimes, cameras and microphones are used to record your child’s sleep and capture sounds. 

As the data is being captured, it is monitored by a sleep technician sitting at a computer in another room. 

The technician is available to help during the study and can remove the devices and sensors during the night if your child needs to go to the bathroom.

Lastly, because sleep specialists have to go through a lot of data gathered from a sleep study, it generally takes 2 to 4 weeks for the results to be available. Your doctor will schedule a follow-up appointment to fully explain the findings of the study to you.