What is the correlation between pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders?
Many children with pulmonary disorders have associated sleep disorders that are exacerbated during sleep. We have found that sleep studies can help us diagnose and intervene to alleviate symptoms. Some of the diseases that have associated sleep problems are muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and asthma. We established the Sleep Disorders Center here at Children’s to meet the needs of these children as well as those with other types of sleep disorders. These include difficulty in establishing consistent bedtimes, night awakenings and obstructive apnea. Some sleep disorders are unique to pediatric age groups and some differ in their presentation in children as compared to adults. How common are sleep disorders in children? Sleep disorders affect 10 to 50 percent of children, including toddlers and preschoolers. Obstructive apnea affects up to two percent of children, and circadian rhythm disorders are fairly common in adolescents. What are the consequences of sleep disorders in children?
