Yes, children can have sleep apnea too.

While adults usually have daytime sleepiness, children more commonly have behavioral problems, according to data from the Mayo clinic. The underlying cause in adults is often obesity, while in children it is enlargement of the adenoids and tonsils.

Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Snoring

  • Pauses in breathing

  • Restless sleep

  • Snorting, coughing or choking

  • Mouth breathing

  • Nighttime sweating

  • Bed-wetting

  • Sleep terrors

Children with sleep apnea may:

  • Perform poorly in school

  • Have difficulty paying attention

  • Have learning problems

  • Have behavioral problems

  • Have poor weight gain

  • Be hyperactive

“It's estimated than 1 to 4 percent of children suffer from sleep apnea, many of them being between 2 and 8 years old.”

-Sleepapnea.org

Causes

Obesity can cause obstructive sleep apnea in adults. But in children the most common condition leading to obstructive sleep apnea is enlarged tonsils and adenoids. However, obesity also plays a role in children. Other underlying factors can be craniofacial anomalies and neuromuscular disorders.

Risk factors:

  • Down syndrome

  • Abnormalities in the skull or face

  • Cerebral palsy

  • Sickle cell disease

  • Neuromuscular disease

  • History of low birth weight

  • Family history of obstructive sleep apnea