My child has Down syndrome. What should I know about his sleep? For all children, whether or not they have Down syndrome, falling asleep at the beginning of the night, and falling back to sleep after natural night-time waking, is something they have to learn how to do. For some children this comes [...]
Why is my baby very restless when he sleeps? All children have natural brief awakenings in the night as they journey through sleep. If you are watching your baby sleep, you may notice him change position – if he is old enough he may sit up, rub his eyes, and then settle down again. This happens [...]
My baby was born prematurely. How will that affect her sleep? Generally speaking, the more premature your baby is (the earlier she was born before her due date), the higher her risk will be for sleep problems. Your preemie (baby born prematurely, or preterm infant) probably will not start sleeping [...]
My baby was diagnosed with Pierre Robin sequence. How will this affect his sleep? Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) affects the formation of the jaw, palate, and upper airway, and babies with PRS are at very high risk of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because of this, your child’s health care [...]
My child has bad environmental allergies. How can that affect her sleep? Allergies can cause nasal obstruction (blockage) and snoring at night which in turn can disrupt normal sleep. If your child has underlying asthma, symptoms may be worse at night. As part of treatment by your health care [...]
How old do you have to be to get a diagnosis of asthma? How do I know if my toddler has it, and how can that affect his sleep? In young children who cannot perform lung function tests, asthma can be hard to diagnose. Clues might include persistent cough at night, coughing or wheezing with [...]
My young child was referred for a sleep study (polysomnography, polysomnogram, PSG). What can I expect when I get there? A parent or caregiver is usually required to spend the night next to the child during a sleep study. So, you will be right there with your child. A sleep study is a painless [...]
If my child snores, what can I expect in terms of further assessment and possible treatment? First, if your child snores and/or you are concerned that your child may have obstructive sleep apnea, be sure to contact your health care provider. Second, your health care provider can help you figure [...]
My baby has sleep apnea. Can she die in her sleep? There is a theory that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) might be linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); however, the cause of SIDS is almost by definition unknown. There are a number of significant protective factors against SIDS, including [...]
What are some conditions, or risk factors, that make it more likely for my child to have obstructive sleep apnea? Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is most common in children ranging in age between 2 and 4 years due to large tonsils and adenoids and relatively small upper airways. Other risk factors [...]