Children who snore may be hyperactive by nature

Researchers from University of Michigan, who had long earlier published their findings on strong links between snoring in childhood and having ADHD, have come up with the results from the next part of the study that conclusively links the association between the two.

The follow up data of the research point out that the participants of the original study who had snored regularly through their childhood are four times as likely to have hyperactivity problem than their peers who had not snored in their childhood. When contacted by the researchers four years later, the families, of the children who snored and took part in the study earlier, have pointed out that the associated behavior problems have continued over the four years along with the snoring problem.

The problem of hyperactivity had also been associated with children who suffered from sleep apnea as well as daytime sleepiness. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), also known as the condition of fragmented sleep is associated with obesity, breathing problems, etc among other things. This condition may range from minor sleep disturbance to a threat to life. In less severe conditions, OSAS remains undetected in people for a long time.

However data collected for the study have also shown that the behavior problems may improve as the sleeping patterns of the children improve with age or treatment.

Reference: Sleep, July 2005