Summary: Sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and sleep apnea, affects up to 17 percent of youth, and the AAP recommends screening for it at every visit. Ariel Williamson, PhD, DBSM, psychologist, and Ignacio Tapia, MD, attending pulmonologist, of the Sleep Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, provide a review of high-risk populations for sleep-disordered breathing; how to screen for sleep-disordered breathing; what to ask parents to distinguish between primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea; when to refer for a sleep or CPAP study; how to help prepare a patient for a sleep study; the information a sleep study yields and what will be reported to the provider; the importance of sleep hygiene/routine and sleep duration; when to recommend melatonin; daytime symptoms that may be caused by sleep disruption; the link between sleep and mental health; and more.
