Therapist Unlimited Blog

According to a latest medical finding, those preschool-aged children who snore have more symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as impairments in attention and language skills.
Based on the study conducted by the researchers lead by Eeva T. Aronen, M.D., Ph.D., of Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland it uncovered the fact that snoring is a possible risk factor for mood problems and cognitive impairment in children.
Aronen and her team studied 43 preschoolers who snored (at least once or twice a week, according to their parents) and 46 children who did not snore.
The researcher revealed the children, average age five years, were evaluated on standard tests of behaviour problems, cognitive (intellectual) function, and development.
The results showed a higher rate of mood problems especially symptoms of anxiety and depression among the children who snored.
The team of experts said overall, 22 percent of snoring children had mood disorder symptoms severe enough to warrant clinical evaluation, compared to 11 percent of the children who did not snore. Other types of problems, such as aggressive behaviour, were no more frequent among children who snored.
The team also found out that snoring children were more likely to have other sleep problems, such as nightmares, talking in their sleep, or difficulties going to bed.

Parents need to closely monitor the snoring habit of their children since it could be a sign that they are suffering from depression/anxiety symptoms.

The team added that cognitive tests also showed some significant differences, including decreased attention and language skills among children who snored.
It was learned that several recent studies have linked sleep problems to psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions in children.
Snoring is a common symptom of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is caused by obstruction of the upper airway during sleep.
Previous studies of the mental health and cognitive impact of SDB in children have been limited to school-age children.
The new results provide evidence of similar links in younger children as well.
Furthermore, Aronen and her team explained knowing the mental health and developmental impact of SDB in preschool-aged children will help pediatricians and other professionals to recognize the underlying sleep problem.
Aronen said more research would be needed to evaluate effective treatments for young children with snoring, and whether they help to alleviate the impact on the children’s mood and cognitive functioning.