Kids Snoring During Sleep Linked To Behavioral Problems

Children who snore or don't breathe for a moment during sleep are more likely to develop behavioral problems, a new study suggests.

A comprehensive study was done to examine the relationship between children's sleep-disorder breathing problems and their behavior. Researchers from Albert Einstein College of New York followed 11,000 children from the time of birth up to 7 years old. The study asked the mothers to answer questions about their children's sleeping habits and behavior up to 7 years of age.

According to the study, 45 per cent of the children slept normally. Of the rest, children had breathing problems.

After taking into account 15 factors linked to behavioral problems, researchers found that children who had sleep breathing problems had 40 to 100 per cent increased chance of experiencing behavioral problems at the age of 7 as compared to the children who breathed normally.

The greater the sleeping problem, greater is the risk of a child suffering from aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, rule-breaking and difficulty getting along with peers.

According to researcher Karen Bonuck M.D., if parents suspect their children to be having any sleep breathing problems, they should consult to an ears, eyes, nose and throat physician or a sleep specialist.