Which diseases reveal themselves more quickly during sleep?
“Sleep is perhaps the most important part of our daily activity throughout childhood, starting from infancy. While our body and brain work at a lower level of activity during sleep, we both relieve the tiredness of the day and gain energy for the next day. Children who sleep uninterruptedly and for a sufficient amount of time develop healthier and their immune systems are stronger. Our breathing rate and power during sleep are weaker than normal, and therefore respiratory system symptoms and signs of many diseases, especially neurological diseases affecting muscles and nerves, appear earlier in the sleep phase.”
What problems does poor quality sleep cause?
“If our sleep quality decreases, we cannot sleep uninterruptedly, or we do not have effective sleep, many problems may arise.
-Insufficient sleep can cause our body’s immune system to deteriorate and make us more prone to diseases.
-Children who do not have good sleep quality become sick more frequently, the severity of the diseases increases and the recovery period takes longer.
– Severe sleep problems cause our basal metabolism to slow down and cause obesity.
-Growth and development are affected, and heart and blood pressure problems can also be seen in children with low sleep efficiency.
-When our sleep efficiency decreases at night and we breathe inadequately, our oxygen decreases and our carbon dioxide level increases throughout the night, and accordingly;
-Daytime sleepiness,
-Morning headaches,
-Napping in nursery or school,
-Decline in school success,
-Behavior problems,
-Nocturnal urinary incontinence,
-Hyperactivity,
-Mood disorders may occur.”
What causes sleep breathing problems? In which children is it more common than normal?
“In children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which cause upper airway stenosis, large tongue, and problems with the nose, jaw, mouth and larynx, can cause breathing problems during sleep. Sleep problems are also common in obese children. Sleep problems may occur in many syndromic diseases and endocrinological disorders, especially Down syndrome. Sleep-related breathing problems can frequently occur in neurological diseases affecting muscles and nerves, metabolic diseases, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and diseases affecting the sleep center in the brain. “
When should children be evaluated with a sleep test?
“Children normally sleep in a comfortable position and quietly. Those who show sleep variability such as sighing, restless sleep, teeth grinding, sleeping with their mouth open, those who snore at various levels and sometimes experience sleep apnea (sleep apnea), daytime sleepiness, which indicates decreased sleep efficiency at night, morning headaches, drowsiness, decreased school success. Those who have complaints such as these should be given a sleep test. In addition, obese patients who are in the risk group for respiratory diseases during sleep, those with syndromic diseases such as Down syndrome, those with neurological disorders and diseases affecting the muscular system, and those with various endocrine and metabolic disorders should also be tested and their sleep status and the presence of respiratory failure during sleep should be evaluated with a sleep test. “
What is a sleep test and how is it done?
“Sleep test is a test in which the child’s sleep is monitored throughout the night and parameters such as sleep state, sleep stages, eye movements, leg movements and respiratory arrest during sleep are monitored. While the test is performed in an inpatient setting, it can also be performed at home for some patients. As a result of the test, a report is given to the family and treatment is arranged accordingly. “