A study estimates that 2% to 4% of children in the United States under the age of ten suffer from childhood sleep apnea. However, the symptoms may be similar to other childhood disorders such as the tendency to resist going to sleep, restless or interrupted sleep patterns, bedwetting, irritability, depression, a diminished ability to learn and thrive academically, and excessive frustration or aggression.
This ma
y cause the children to be misdiagnosed to have behavioral disorders such as Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while the childhood sleep apnea goes untreated.
Pic courtesy Neil Wood on flickr.com
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