4-y/o with sleep apnea?

[2-Beady-Eyes]

My DD is 4 y/o and she snores a lot. It sounds like she is wisteling when she sleeps, and it is loud. I was wondering if anyone else has had experience with this sort of thing, and did anything come out of it. My DH said it's called sleep apnea, so that's why the title.

Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

Row.

[Abear]

You need to take her to see an Ear,Nose & Throat specialist.

DS # 1 used to snore like that when he was younger (he is now 12). His was caused by HUGE adenoids and enlarged, but not infected, tonsils. Since he had both removed, his sleeping has been quiet & normal.....and he sleeps better. (less waking during the night)

You really shold get her evaluated as soon as possible.

[Lifestar]

Hi Row...

Sleep apnea is is when a person actually stops breathing during sleep. The respritory arrest wakes them up, and they begin to breathe again...


It doesn't sound like your daughter's case is this severe... but I agree with Cindy, that an evaluation by a good ENT is important to get done sooner than later.


I hope you all get som e refreshing sleep in the mean time!

Val

[ronsan]

Adenoids and tonsils are the likely culprit here, as has been suggested, but also ask to have the child's sinus cavities checked out, too. My oldest son had this triple whammy problem and medical attention resulting in surgery did the trick.

My husband did have sleep apnea so severe that when he did the sleep lab, the results revealed that he breathing was restricted more than 100 times during the night. At one point, the nurses were checking him physically almost every hour because they thought the measuring device on one of his fingers had slipped off, but it hadn't. He just wasn't breathing normally.

He was not a candidate for the sleep apnea machines, but rather had to have extensive surgery almost immediately. First was the surgery for the deviated septum. Next, the uvula and soft palette tissue were removed or greatly reduced, and then he had to learn all over again how to swallow, but the results were worth it. He doesn't even "purr" now and before the surgery more than 10 years ago, everyone in a three story house could hear him!

Sandie

[MKS]

My niece has this trouble & had her tonsils & adenoids removed. It is a relatively safe procedure. On the other hand the lack of quality sleep that the snoring/apnea result in can cause a wide range of problems... She may have more behavior problems, decrease in coordination causing her to be accident prone, reduced ability to concentrate and learn (important even tho she is not yet in school) and suceptability to illness.

[redcardinalbird]

I agree with the others that tonsils and/or adenoids are the problems. See a good ENT and ask them about the many studies that are going on with preschool children and snoring. They have found links that the snoring can cause problems in school such as hyperactivity and others. I cannot think of the study name right now that is going on here. But parents have been asked to bring in children age 4 and 5 for studies. Then if snoring a continuous problem the tonsils are removed and they follow them in school and it has shown a big improvement. My 6yo snores and I am going to see if she qualifies as I saw the notice at the doctor office at her last visit. She has had her adenoids out due to many ear infections but the ENT would not remove tonsils as at that time did not have qualifing reasons (have to have multiple strep in a year and did not at that time).

[Bilby]

My son would wake himself up snoring, it turned out he had an allergy to dustmites. Doc did a blood test to see what other allergies he could have.
I now wash his bedding in vinegar and change his pillow case every 2 days and his bedding twice a week. That seems to do the trick.
I was asked by the doc if I though he had ADD because of short attention span and tired days but it turns out because it was his snoring waking him up and the broken sleep pattern was enough to set him on bad days.
With a nose spray for really bad pollen or hot days he doesn't snore/wake up hardly at all anymore.

[angelgram]

My daughter had sleep apnea when she was born, and we had a monitor so we could tell when she stopped breathing.
It doesn't sound to me like that is the problem your child is having, but you need to get her to a doctor to have her checked out.

My husband also has sleep apnea, and my daughter hasn't out grown hers. The doctor says they will always have it.

Angelgram

[Deidra]

It could also be asthma. My friend has this and whistles in her sleep! I would definantly take her to the doctor.