Does your child’s low grades at school trouble you? Then check if your child is snoring a lot while sleeping because sleep apnea can affect their thinking abilities. While periodic snoring is usual in children, persistent snoring can lead to a disorder called sleep apnea that affects the quality of sleep, which in turn, can be linked with concentration and learning difficulties, the findings suggest.
‘Sleep apnea can affect the concentration and learning abilities of children, leading to poor academic grades.’
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Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. The most common reason for snoring are enlarged tonsils or adenoids, that can often be cured or reduced with surgery, the researchers said.
In the study, a total of 1,359 school children, comprising snorers and non-snorers aged five to seven years, were assigned to one of four groups based on severity of sleep apnea.
They completed sleep assessment questionnaires, an overnight sleep study, and measures of several cognitive functions including language and executive development.
After comparing measures of cognitive functioning across the four groups, the researchers found that even snoring alone has a negative effect on children's thinking abilities.
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The study was presented at the American Thoracic Society's ATS 2016 international conference in San Francisco.
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