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We all know about the dangers of drunk drivers, but what about the dangers of exhausted drivers? According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teens are at especially high risk for dying in drowsy driving accidents. Drowsy driving is bad for everyone. That’s why laws limit how much truck drivers can drive and require […]

Even if you’re dedicated to screening your patients for symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), some will fall through the cracks. Too many patients rush through questionnaires or don’t take their symptoms seriously. They may be focused on other issues when they come into your office or not realize that they have a problem worth […]

The 2020 flu and RSV seasons have been terrible. And Americans now face the threat of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). Could your untreated sleep apnea put you at greater risk for complications from seasonal viruses? The CDC has warned that adults with heart disease have a higher risk of flu complications. And scientists are discovering […]

The current first line of treatment for pediatric sleep apnea is the removal of tonsils and adenoids. But what happens when your dentist and your ENT fail to find an issue with a child’s tonsils and adenoids?   In some children, the obstruction is caused by swollen tonsils and adenoids, but other physical features can also […]

Allergies are tough. Environmental allergies affect 30% of US adults and 40% of U.S. children. When people are exposed to allergens in the air, they break out in rashes. Their eyes itch and water. And their sinuses and lungs can become inflamed. In children, especially, this inflammation can obstruct the nasal passages during sleep and […]

When you begin to learn about sleep apnea, you may notice that many dentists and sleep doctors talk a lot about the palate. Why is the palate so important to doctors and dentists who treat obstructive sleep apnea? There are several ways in which the form and development of the palate can cause OSA. If […]

It’s nearly spring, and for many American students, that means we’re approaching the season of standardized testing. Standardized testing is a big stressor for many families. State-level tests can sometimes determine whether a child advances to the next grade, or whether the local school will receive adequate funding.  Big tests like the SAT, ACT, or […]

Your baby has a tongue tie. Should you have it revised? The answer to your question may depend on who you ask. Pediatricians, dentists, and speech and language pathologists all have different perspectives on how a tongue tie affects a child’s growth and development and when it becomes a problem. Pediatricians and your baby’s first […]

Is your child exposed to second-hand smoke at home or in the homes of other caregivers?  If your child is already suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), exposure to second-hand smoke can result in a higher rate of hypopneas, incidences where the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen Researchers writing in the International Journal of Pediatric […]

There’s a reason that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. If you deprive an adult of sufficient sleep, their mental and emotional states will quickly deteriorate. But what happens when an otherwise healthy child has reduced sleep over a long period? Researchers in Norway recently studied a group of 799 children and […]