Sleep problems in preschoolers may increase the likelihood of a child needing special education services later in life. That’s the finding of a study published in the September 2012 issue of Pediatrics.

Sleep Problems? What Kind of Sleep Problems?

I admit my first thought upon hearing the news was similar to my response to the study that showed regular school attendance increases kids’ learning. It took a study to prove that? Somebody could have saved a lot of money by asking teachers about the correlation between attendance and learning.

But a closer reading of the sleep problem study revealed a more complex issue. At first glance, I erroneously believed the sleep problem was kids getting too little sleep. Going to bed too late. Interrupted sleep. Stuff like that. But I was wrong. This study looked at problems like sleep apnea and snoring in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Sleep Problem and the Special Education Correlation

The study, authored by Karen Bonuck, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Social Medicine, in New York City “found that kids who suffered from problems like sleep apnea and snoring in their infant, toddler and preschool years were more likely to need special education services for conditions such as speech and behavioral problems a few years later.”

The study found an association between the two factors, but it did not prove cause and effect. An article in U.S. News and World report says, “The higher risk of disabilities could be a statistical fluke, or something else besides sleep problems may explain it.” However, the article goes on to say, “Research has shown that sleep deprivation disrupts the making of memories in the brain.”

Now that’s alarming! Because, as the article states, “Sleep is not just ‘rest’ where the body needs to restore energy. The brain is active 24/7, and we now know that not only important aspects of learning and memory happen during sleep, but emotion regulation is also dependent on sleep. “No wonder pediatricians are being advised to screen for early sleep problems and address them.

Sleep Problems at Your House

What do you think of the study? Do the results surprise you? Do your young children have sleep problems or did they when they were younger? How did you deal with them? What did your pediatrician advise? Leave a comment about your reactions to this study and how the findings could impact your child.

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