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The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.
My Daughter's Restless Nights, Struggling To Get Enough Air
by Leigh
(KY)
My 5 year old daughter is having problems resting at night. I've noticed that she will be in a deep sleep and all at once start gasping for air. She is really restless when she gets like this.
Her body sometimes raises straight up and she'll look like she's going to get up but she just sits on the bed and looks around, but her eyes are closed. She is unresponsive when I talk to her. But sometimes, she mumbles like she is talking in her sleep.
Once I get her attention, she is really groggy and responsive to whatever I ask her but gets upset because she thinks I woke her up.
I have no clue what this could be. She says it's not nightmares or any dream, she don't complain that she's sick. She can't get comfortable and she's all over the bed. All the while, taking long, deep breaths like she can't get enough air. This only happens when she is in a deep sleep.
If anyone has experienced this with their child and has answers, please respond back.
Kevin: Hi Leigh, Thanks for writing in. Since you mention there are breathing issues related to your daughter's restless-looking sleep, it is likely that sleep apnea is involved. It is not altogether uncommon in children. It is caused sometimes by large tonsils, but can also be caused by other things related to the structure of the child's palate and airway.
The micro-awakenings that occur when a child with sleep apnea struggles to breath can trigger other deep sleep sleep disorders, such as sleepwalking and sleep talking. The pressure the struggle puts on the body can also confuse the bladder system and lead to bedwetting.
If any of this sounds familiar or if you'd like to check more into sleep apnea, it would likely be wise to consult your daughter's pediatrician. I wish you all the best!
Kevin
(Please keep in mind that I am a student of sleep science and not a medical doctor. Please take any thoughts I give with my background in mind.)
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Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
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Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
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