AASM encourages those student-athletes at risk for developing osa to visit a sl...(l or as a participant in a sporting even...),Health

Aggressive behavior and bullying, common among schoolchildren, are likely to have multiple causes, one of which may be an undiagnosed sleep-related breathing disorder.

Over the past decade, children and teens have been going to bed later and sleeping less. This can be attributed, in part, to a lack of awareness in the community concerning sleep need in children and teens and how the amount of sleep a child should get each night is dependent on ones age. The Sleep-Side Rule is found to be an effective tool that improves their understanding of the relationship between age and sleep need.

The prevalence of children and teens with OSA, as well as the negative consequences of living with OSA, have also been highlighted in several studies published in issues of SLEEP and the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The adverse effects of OSA made headlines last year, when OSA was established as a contributing cause in the death of Reggie White, a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, at the age of 43. The AASM stresses that early detection and treatment for OSA is the best way for children and teens to avoid the same fate.

On behalf of the AASM, Dr. Kohler offers the following tips for children and teens on how to get a good nights sleep:

• Follow a consistent bedtime routine.

• Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.

• Get a full nights sleep every night.

• Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.

• Do not stay up all hours of the night to cram for an exam, do homework, etc. If after-school activities are proving to be too time-consuming, consider cutting back on these activities.

• Do not go to bed hungry, but dont eat a big meal before bedtime either.

• Avoid any rigorous exerci
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