Why Are Sleep Studies Important?

After working with children with different diagnoses, delays, and differences for more than a decade, Doctor Marielly noticed that many of the children she treated had one thing in common: poor sleep. She decided to take a deeper look into her client's sleep and began to realize just how much it impacts function. Think about it: when you're tired, you have a hard time focusing, let alone retaining information or expending the energy necessary to learn a new skill. And how many of us have spent the day grumpy because we had a terrible night's sleep?

When looking deeper into pediatric sleep, Doctor Marielly learned that only 38% of children who screen positive for snoring are referred for further evaluation. Although several screening questionnaires have been developed to identify children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), they have not proven accurate and are rarely used. These test are even less commonly used for Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB).

To make matters worse, the considerable variability in how these symptoms manifest in children with OSA makes it difficult to diagnose. Excessive daytime sleepiness, a common symptom of OSA for adults, is not a frequently reported symptom in children with OSA.

Instead, children with SDB and OSA often experience…

• Hyperactivity

• Difficulty concentrating

• Attention- behavioral- and mood-problems

• Bedwetting (nocturnal eneuresis)

• Mouth breathing

• Dry mouth

• Morning headaches

• Teeth grinding

• Frequent awakenings

• Night terrors

Due to decreased awareness about how Sleep Disordered Breathing and Obstructive Sleep Apnea impact children, many cases in children go undiagnosed or parents and professionals with the best of intentions miss the mark in identifying one of the main biological reasons the child continues to struggle while treating them for their symptoms rather than addressing one of the main causes directly. As a result, most children never receive appropriate treatment to improve the quality of their sleep. If left untreated, sleep disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnea can negatively impact a child’s psychological, behavioral, heart and metabolic health, with symptoms becoming worse over time.

Charting a Course For Dreamland

Doctor Marielly noticed that even when a referral for a sleep study was made, parents found it difficult to follow through on the recommendation due to obstacles like…

• Limited access to pediatric sleep laboratories

• High cost of testing with increased parent out-of-pocket expenses

• Reported inconvenience for both the child and their caregivers

• Difficulty obtaining accurate results due to a child’s discomfort and disruption to their routine

Not long ago, Doctor Marielly attended a sleep, airway, and dentistry conference where she was introduced to the revolutionary work being done by Sleep Image. Their technologically advanced rings offered a minimally invasive but incredibly effective way to monitor patients' sleep. Doctor Marielly saw the potential of this technology to revolutionize the way Sleep Disordered Breathing and Sleep Apnea are diagnosed and addressed.

TheraPlay LA is the first pediatric therapy clinic to integrate sleep monitoring into treatment in conjunction with OT, speech and language therapy, nutritional coaching, sleep training, and orofacial myofunctional therapy. Since her clients have begun using the Sleep Image ring, they've identified numerous cases of Sleep Disordered Breathing, Sleep Apnea, heart arrhythmia, and even seizure activity. In addition, when compared to data obtained prior to beginning OMT and/or ALF expansion treatment, clients have displayed far fewer markers indicative of SDB and Sleep Apnea. Doctor Marielly is excited to continue using this incredible technology to improve the lives of her clients and emphasize the importance of airway health.