Sleep Apnea...

A work peep just sent me this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22881407/from/ET/

It's about how kids with Sleep Apnea can be hyper and even mis-diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. The sleep apnea keeps them from getting a good night's rest, and the next day with the tiredness hits, they get hyper (think "Overtired"). I think that Devin may have sleep apnea. When he sleeps with me, his snoring often keeps me awake, and there are times when it sounds like he's stopped breathing or is struggling to breathe.

I don't think the sleep apnea will kill him. I don't think we have an urgent problem here. But, I suppose I should talk to the doctor about it. He does indeed have a mean streak, and there is certainly a chance that it manifests itself later in the day like in the example given in the article. I'm sure I've mentioned before that Trevor's teachers always told us how happy they were to have him in their classes. Devin's never did. I wonder if it could stem from sleep apnea?

If the solution to his sleep apnea, if he indeed has it, is as simple as having tonsils and adenoids removed, should I do it? Surgery scares me. Should I wait until kindergarten or first grade?

I don't know.

I know that labels, ADD, ADHD, LD, all of these can mark a kid for life and not always for the good. Probably, never for the good.

I just don't know.

Is a little hyperactivity such a bad thing, or is sleep apnea all by itself such a bad thing that I should get it corrected no matter what, and if it fixes his mean, hyper streak, so much the better? I don't want to fix it if that's just who he is. I like him just the way he is.

I really just don't know.