ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 4 (UPI) -- Children who snore are almost twice as likely to have behavior problems, an association that appears to be particularly true among young boys, according to a study released Monday.
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor said the findings linking sleep problems and hyperactivity are significant, especially among habitual snorers younger than 8 years old who were three times more likely to be hyperactive than non-snorers in the same age group.
Lead researcher Dr. Ronald Chervin, an associate professor of neurology and director of the Sleep Disorder Center at the University of Michigan, said the findings do not indicate snoring is responsible for hyperactive behavior.
"I would caution you that this study does not prove a cause and effect relationship," Chervin told United Press International. "We're highly suspicious," he added, but they don't have proof yet.
The study was based on surveys of the parents of 866 children ages 2 to 14, and 54 percent of the children were boys. Parents were asked about their child's behavior patterns, such as forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, irritability, frequent fidgeting and excessive talking, all signs of hyperactive behavior.
Study participants also were asked about the frequency and severity of their child's snoring -- whether the child struggled to breathe during sleep or stopped breathing temporarily during the night. Parents were asked if the child had to breathe through the mouth while awake during the day or if the child had a tough time waking up or would wake up not feeling rested. All of these cues, researchers said, could mean a child has a sleeping disorder breathing problem that can affect the quality of sleep.
Twenty-two percent of the habitual snorers had high hyperactivity scores compared to only 12 percent of those who did not routinely snore. The connection was strongest among boys under age 8; 30 percent of the kids in that age group snored regularly and had high hyperactivity scores compared to 9 percent of those boys who did not snore as much.
While the link was weaker among girls, researchers did find daytime sleepiness to be associated with hyperactivity in all ages for both sexes.
The findings are reported in the March issue of Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Sleeping disorders have been studied extensively in adults, but researchers are just beginning to investigate such problems in children, Chervin said.
Hyperactivity problems and diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have been on the rise in this country in the past few years, particularly among young boys, yet parents and pediatricians have not been able to find out why.
Chervin said it is possible kids have more behavior problems today because they have less time to rest.
"I can't tell you for sure if children are sleepier now than they were 30 years ago, but I certainly suspect they are because we put so much pressure on them in our society," Chervin said.
Susan Sprau, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and a sleep disorder specialist agrees.
"Kids have trouble sleeping now because of our lifestyle," Sprau told United Press International. "Kids may have had less sleep time than 30, 40, 50 years ago."
Television, computers, households where both parents often work outside of the home and after-school activities can cut into a child's resting time, she said.
"The family schedule and demands of schooling have restricted the amount of time kids have to sleep," Sprau said. "Everything is pushed so that bedtime in the evening, unless the family makes a definite effort, will be later."
Children up to age 12 need 12 hours of sleep each night, she said.
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(Reported by Katrina Woznicki in Washington.)
