Children need their sleep to be at their best, but sometimes they have difficulty falling or staying asleep. The result can be daytime drowsiness, behavior problems, weight gain and other health problems.
Mather’s Sleep Disorders Center is now diagnosing pediatric sleep disorders in children as young as two years old. The expansion in services follows the Center’s physical expansion last year to six sleep study rooms and the addition of a third staff physician, Nick Patel, DO. Dr. Patel, who is certified in pulmonary and sleep medicine, completed a fellowship in pediatric sleep medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and is specializing in children’s sleep disorders at Mather.
The most common sleep disorder in children, and in adults, is obstructive sleep apnea, where a person does not receive enough oxygen during the night due to an obstructed airway. As a result, the brain forces the body to repeatedly wake up and gasp for air. The cause and symptoms are different in younger patients than with adults.
"With kids it’s more hypoventilation," Dr. Patel said. "They don’t have completely obstructed airways but for the whole night they don’t get enough air in and out."
"I’ve also seen kids being managed for attention deficit disorders who may be larger or more obese. When we treat them for sleep apnea, their attention improves dramatically to the point where they don’t even need medication," said Dr. Patel.
For further information about the Sleep Disorders Center at Mather Hospital or to schedule an evaluation, call (631) 476-2721.