George sometimes falls asleep in school. He tries hard to pay attention and concentrate, but sometimes he just can'tstay awake. The teacher talked to his parents to make sure George gets enough sleep. So George's mother makes sure he gets at least 10 hours of sleep each night. But sometimes he still falls asleep in school. George's parents are worried, so they take him to the doctor. After a full check-up, the doctor asks if George snores. "George snores very loudly!" his father answers. "Sometimes his breathing gets really quiet. Then he gasps for breath and starts snoring again." |
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The doctor thinks for a moment. Then she explains, "If parts of your throat like your tonsils are larger than usual, when you breathe in, air squeezes through to get to your lungs. The air makes your tonsils vibrate, causing the loud snoring sound. Some people's throats relax so much while they sleep it keeps air from getting to their lungs. They actually stop breathing for a few seconds and then wake up gasping for breath. |
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"This is called Sleep Apnea (Say: AP-knee-a). People with sleep apnea may wake up several times during the night without knowing it. Waking up so many times during the night makes you very tired the next day." "Does George have sleep apnea?" George's dad
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"George, for your sleep test, you will sleep over at a special sleep center. They will keep track of your breathing, your heart, and your brain while you sleep. This helps them figure out what happens while you sleep that makes you so tired during the day. There are many ways we can treat snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep problems so you can get better and sleep well." |
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If you are very sleepy during the day like George, talk to your parents and doctor to find out what might be wrong. |
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