We saw our pulmonologist today for a regular check up and I asked the doctor about my son's regular complaint of being tired. His breathing tests were good and is asthma is pretty well controlled - just a few issues with exercise and few other times. He is nine years old - sleeps with heavy breathing, a restless sleeper, and just doesn't have the energy that most nine year olds have. He has spurts of good energy but it is just not consistent. He wakes up saying he is tired - when I pick him up from school he is tired. He does good in school and isn't falling asleep during the day or anything like that - just too tired for a nine year old. Anyway - the dr. said his tonsills seem a little large but would like to do a sleep study to rule out any possiblities of sleep apnea. She mentioned sleep apnea was sometimes associated with asthma - has anyone dealt with this or heard anything about it? Thanks so much. I think she is a wonderful doctor but just wanting some feedback from others who have been there. Thanks!
I always look for the easy answers first. I would look up asthma online to see if there is any nutritional advice you could find to give him more energy and boost his immune system. Are you giving him any extra vitamin D3? That is a certain pick me up especially in the winter.
We did a sleep study with my son when he was an infant (maybe 8 months old) because he was a snorer (still is) which isn't really normal in little kids and could be indicative of sleep apnea. Anyway, it was really easy (actually did a 3 night study). Just had to tape the little sensor on his big toe (I think with older kids or adults the do the finger) and thread the wire up his jammies. He didn't have any problems with it and it didn't come off or anything. He also didn't have apnea.
I just did a sleep study with my 15 year old 2 weeks ago. It was done at home for 2 nights and the device was worn on her head. We have not gotten the results back yet. My daughter has been "sick" for the last 13 months. She is tired, easily gets sick, has dizziness and headaches and stomaches. We have been working with many doctors;neurologist, immunologist/allergist, dentist, ENT, osteopath, biofeedback doctor along with her pediatrician. SHe has been identified so far with TMJ, low immunity, uncontrolled allergies, orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure) and migraines. She is many supplements and some prescription drugs. We are still trying to figure out how all this is caused. SHe had shingles almost a year ago. We also just recently found some mold under our house (not significant) but we wonder if she is hypersensitive to some allergans. SHe has just been tested for the second time for celiac disease. With the TMJ they found her lower jaw was not forward enough so could be causing many different symptoms. We still don't know what symptom goes with what condition. Her 28 year old brother was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea 3 years ago. He had all the testing done and he ended up having nose and jaw surgery. He is one year past his last surgery and is sleeping better now and feels rested. It was caused by the jaw and tongue. The tongue was resting over his airway when he was sleeping. SO they moved the jaw forward. My daughter we are still waiting on and she has missed a lot of school that we are doing correspondence for some classes. Good luck to you. If you need any help please do not hesitate to ask me. I feel like I've seen every specialist possible and some twice. If my experiences could help some one else it would be great.
Sounds like my son. He is a restless sleeper, has asthma, and allergies. He just started allergy shots, that seem to be going well. He just started to complain that his feet were hurting and the foot dr. said that he has flat feet. That this could be part of the tiredness. He now has inserts that support his arches.
He also is known to grind his teeth at night, which is also a trait of sleep apnea. I'm going to talk to his dentist about getting a mouth guard.
M.
I was having the same issues as your son, which began for me at 23. I was falling asleep while driving to work, at work, coming home from work, immediately after work, wake up long enough to eat dinner, then would go directly to bed. I've done a couple of sleep studies and they call what I have Idiopathic Hypersomnia- which means excessive day time sleepiness. It's not narcolepsy, because I don't lose my muscle control and don't dream during the short sleeping spells. I now take 2 different pills each morning to get me through the day. I stopped taking the meds when I was pregnant and then while I was nursing. My boss thought I was severely depressed and hated life alltogether, because I looked horrible- always very tired and moved kind of slow.
As far as the sleep study itself, they're not very fun. I guess that might depend on where you go, but each time I've had mine, they put electrodes attached to wires all over my head, face, and chest. I also had to sleep with a tube directly under my nose to monitor my oxygen intake. There was also a monitor clip on my finger. I had to go to a facility for both. I stayed over night, but also had to do a nap study- so I stayed the next day as well and had to take 20 minute naps every 2 hours. After a "restfull" night's sleep, I was falling alseep during the naps withing 1-2 minutes each time.
I know meds like I take are a mother's worst nightmare and they don't want to go that route, but don't eliminate the option if the results are that the doctor recommends them. They have changed my life for the better, and I can excel in what I do now, rather than struggle to stay awake and focus.
Good luck!!
My daughter has narrow nasal passages since birth (she is 1) and we did a sleep study when she was 11 months. She had also been on an apnea monitor for the first 6 months of her life (no serious incidents though the monitor went off when she was deeply asleep and then she was fine when we checked on her). The overnight sleep study was okay other than the inconvenience of sticking all the electrodes on a baby and getting her to not pull on them. BTW, the insurance completely covered the sleep study (even though it is not the greatest insurance in other ways). My daughter has mild sleep apnea and they are not treating it at her age. We still have to go to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist to see if surgery is an option worth pursuing. There may be some other non surgical options for older children and adults such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine for sleeping. I don't know how the asthma factors in since my daughter doesn't have it. Could his medication for that be making him more tired?
