Learning Disabilities and Behavior Problems Related to Snoring

According to new research, children who snore but are undergoing treatment for it have shown considerable improvement in the learning abilities but the behavioral problems have not improved. The study was conducted at Monash Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne and Dr. Sarah Biggs who had studied over 160 children aged 7 to 12 years

As per her findings, she discovered that snoring did contribute to the disrupted learning and negatively affected the behavior patterns. Though with oral and nasal drops assistance and in a few cases, surgery contributed to stop snoring in children, there was an improvement in the learning process. However, the behavioral issues remained.

When these children who snored were compared to the children who didn't snore, there was marked difference in the behavior patterns. Though it was studied that with improved sleep, the brain recovers when it comes to learning but the behavior is still affected. Although snoring is one of the reasons that sleep disrupts and it affects the cognitive functioning irrespective of the age-group, children are affected the most. Behavior and learning patterns develop in early childhood and if snoring is one of the reasons that hamper normal development, you need to find the right cure.

Another study was conducted at the University of South Australia's Center for Sleep Research about babies and toddler snoring problems. Dr. Mark Kohler who was one of the sleep specialists studied over 450 snoring babies and found the snoring can affect babies as young as 6 months to about 12 months. But he was of the view that as infancy is a critical time for brain development, the long-term repercussions of snoring are still not known.

At SLEEP 2012, different views were presented and it was noted in many of the studies that sleep-disorder and snoring led to numerous performance and learning disorders. Additionally, it has been seen that children with behavioral problems tend to have learning disabilities. When snoring is left untreated, not only does the sleep disorders increase but it can culminate as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a fatal condition. With no age bar on snoring, it is difficult to diagnose a multitude of related issues that a child might be going through. As a parent, it is important to keep a check on the sleep habits of children and if you find that your child snores irrespective of whether the baby is 6 months old or 12 years old, talk to the pediatrician. There are numerous anti-snoring drops that are available in the market over-the-counter and in drug stores.

Some of the anti-snoring solutions that has been clinically tried and tested, are deemed safe for use on older children and adults. These nasal drops help to tighten the soft tissue that vibrate when breathing causing the snores. You can look for other remedies such as chin straps, mouth guards and nasal strips to stop snoring. The mouth guard helps to stop the tongue from falling back into the throat which in turn allows proper breathing when asleep. However, you can talk with your doctor about it and decide the proper course of action for your child.