There are increased cases where children with sleep apnea or ADD/ADHD are misdiagnosed. The symptoms of these conditions are sometimes similar, and they need special attention when making a diagnosis. Some children have been diagnosed with sleep problems while, in the real sense, they had ADD/ADHD.
Sleep disorders in children are becoming common and sometimes misdiagnosed. Besides sleep problems, a child can be affected by trauma, anxiety, and depression, which may all affect the diagnosis. Understanding the symptoms and characteristics of these conditions in-depth help to reduce misdiagnosis.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea?
When parents have children, they often observe sleeping patterns. Sleep apnea causes difficulty in falling and staying asleep. When you notice that your child does not like sleeping, and if they do, they sleep for a short period, or wake up in a panic or even screaming and sweating, or experience long bouts of coughing in the middle of the night these could be a sign of sleep apnea.
Difficulty in breathing, strange sleep noises, and sleepwalking are also signs. If your child sleeps fewer hours than normal, you may notice irritability during the day. The child also seems agitated and has a hard time focusing. They may fall asleep for long hours during the day.
What Are The Symptoms Of ADD/ADHD?
Cases of ADD/ADHD in children are on the rise. Children with ADD/ADHD have trouble focusing. They do not focus on activities that bore them or that do not have a reward. They do not listen or follow through with instructions.
You can easily distract them, and even then, you lose their attention as fast. They have no social awareness. They can blurt the wrong things at the wrong time. They have trouble reading the room as well as the mood of the people around them.
They are impatient, forgetful, and sometimes they become violent due to frustration. They have trouble sitting still. They are full of hyper energy, and they rarely settle down.
Why Are The Two Usually Confused During Diagnosis?
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD and the symptoms of sleep apnea are easily confused. Sometimes, the child may have a case of the two conditions. In some cases, the child has ADHD. The medication for ADHD has been known to cause sleeplessness. The symptoms in the two conditions also overlap and cause a confusing reaction.
If the child has sleep apnea, they may be irritable and agitated during the day. These symptoms can be misread as having ADD/ADHD. The practitioner may need to observe the patient over some time to give the correct diagnosis.
When going for a diagnosis, the sleep specialist should seek to understand the patient from the little symptoms to the big ones. Understanding when the problem began and how it began can also help. There are some special exams to help understand the symptoms better. The parent can also go for a second and third opinion to ensure the right diagnosis.
To learn more about sleep disorders and their treatment, visit Dream in Del Mar at our office in Del Mar, California. You can also call (858) 755-1166 to schedule an appointment.