Childhood is a time for incredible growth and development, and your kids can go through countless changes in their interests and preferences through the years. While this is often nothing to worry over, changes that see their school performance, behavior, and health worsen are causes for alarm. What you should know is that all of these issues can be traced back to problems with breathing and their nightly rest.
Sleep Health and Behavioral Issues
Disordered sleep at any age can lead to physical challenges, including a loss of energy and impaired management of other active conditions. It can also cause a person to have issues with focus, short-term memory, and mood. Our childhood years are a time of significant neurological and social development. Kids and teens who experience a lack of healthy sleep can experience behavioral and social issues, and they can struggle with limited neurological function. This means that disordered sleep and related airway obstructions can seriously impact your child’s performance in school by hurting their learning capacity and interfering with their emotional regulation.
Sleep Health and Your Child’s Mental and Emotional Health
Children affected by conditions like ADHD can struggle to manage already difficult symptoms due to poor sleep. When they are cut off from proper rest during the night, the following issues can arise or worsen, leading to social challenges and issues in the classroom:
- An increase in negative feelings or behaviors, such as anxiety, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and aggression
- Poorer focus as well as cognitive and behavioral problems that hurt their classroom performance
- New or worsening symptoms of ongoing mental health concerns
Taking Your Child’s Sleep Health Seriously
While we think of sleep apnea as something adults deal with, issues with obstructed breathing in children and teens do occur. Paying attention to the warning signs of these issues can help you determine if corrective work will help your child. An evaluation of their breathing, malocclusion issues, and rest issues can lead to treatment that has significant value for their physical health, development, and overall well-being!
Talk To NRH Orthodontics About Your Child’s Sleep Health and Behavioral Development
Everyone depends on a good night’s rest to maintain their emotional and physical health. Sleep can be particularly important for younger people who are still going through developmental changes. NRH Orthodontics is here to help if airway obstructions and disordered sleep are having a potential impact on your child or teen’s behavior and growth. To find out how we can support your family, call our North Richland Hills, TX orthodontic treatment office at (817) 581-8881.