How does Sleep Disordered Breathing cause these issues?
Mouth breathing reduces air flow and oxygen and increases CO2.
Unlike nasal breathing, mouth breathing fails to warm, filter and humidify air or release nitric oxide (NO), which kills dust mites and helps prevent inflammation.
Most prominent symptoms are waking up during the night, restless sleep talking, and easily or frequently falling asleep watching tv or on car rides.
Affects the brain by reducing REM sleep, lessens toxin removal, and reduces daytime electrochemical transmission between brain cells.
Affects memory, judgement, attention, awareness, and alertness, causing poor school performance, attention deficit, speech issues and depression/anxiety.
Affects the immune system by increasing allergies, infections, illnesses, middle ear infections, eczema and asthma.
Interesting Facts
Children 6-9 years old with <10 hrs sleep were 1.5-2.5x more likely to be obese.
3 consecutive nights of 4-5 hrs of sleep can cause irreversible brain cell damage.
Antibody levels increase 56% for each additional hour of sleep.
1 night of incomplete sleep can affect endocrine and immune systems.
90% of the brain is developed in the first 5 years of life, so don’t delay having your child thoroughly evaluated for SDB.
What should I do if I think my child has sleep-disordered breathing?
Identify and partner with a multi-disciplinary treatment team with leading expertise in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing
Have comprehensive evaluation
Review planned treatment, alternatives, risks, expectations, and other questions
Begin treatment with the multi-disciplinary team
To schedule your child for a sleep/airway/tongue tie consult, contact Dr. Brynn Leroux: