My husband's snoring can get pretty bad sometimes and if I'm not already asleep by the time he starts, it's practically impossible for me to get a good night of rest. So, trust me, I know how annoying and disruptive snoring can be. But what if the one snoring is the smallest person in your home? My children don't really snore, except when they're fighting a cold and even then it's only for a couple of nights and never loud enough to wake anybody up.
But many children snore on a nightly basis for years even though they seem perfectly healthy otherwise–and a new study suggests parents should not ignore their children's snores!
Read more in ¿Qué más?: Scientists: Kids have never gotten enough sleep
Apparently, snoring can seriously affect a child's behavior in the future. How are the two linked? Researchers think it may have to do with the fact that when a person snores, not enough oxygen is being delivered to the brain. Less oxygen can result in inflammation and changes to the brain tissue.
The results of the new study, which focused on younger children and was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, showed behavior of persistent snorers was worse at age 3, especially with regards to hyperactivity, attention and depression, when compared to children who snore occasionally or not at all. An important point, according to experts, is to remember that an overtired kid may not always look sleepy. In fact, the child will probably act more like he has ADHD and may be wrongly diagnosed.
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So, if your young child has been snoring for a while, don't ignore it. Take him to the doctor so he can be evaluated. And, if he's been acting up lately and you're not sure what's going on, don't be surprised if his poor sleep quality is to blame.
Do your children snore? What have you done about it? Share your thoughts with us by leaving us a comment below.
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