Cleft Palate and snoring/sleep apnea

[Laura]

I have a 6 year old daughter with a cleft lip and palate that were repaired when she was 4. I am beginning to suspect that she has sleeping difficulties (apnea?) because she usually snores loudly, calls out in her sleep and wakes up extremely grouchy in the morning no matter how long she sleeps. Has anyone else noticed this with their child or themselves? Do you usually request a sleep study for this or are there some simple things we could do to help her sleep easier?


THanks
Laura

[Calvero]

I'm 27 and was born with both bilateral cleft lip and bilateral cleft palate. I have read somewhere that cleft palate can cause sleep apnea. If I have sleep apnea (I might... my husband does tell me I snore ) it would not only be because of the cleft palate but also my mom has it (sleep apnea) We also think my grandfather, (mom's dad) had it. BTW I'm the only one in my family that I know of who was born cleft.


Calvero
Born to be Cleft
<a href="http://calvero.tripod.com/cleft/">http://calvero.tripod.com/cleft/</a>
The Cleft Club
<a href="http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thecleftclub">http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thecleftclub</a>

[Kristi]

Hi,
If you suspect that your child has sleep apnea, I strongly encourage you to have your daughter's doctor order a sleep study. Your daughter could be experiencing be experiencing apnea due to an obstruction. If your daughter has had a pharyngeal flap, the biggest risk for people with pharyngeal flaps is sleep apnea.


Kristi

[tweed1@frontiernet.net]

Hi, just below your entry is mine for seizures related to clefts. My daughters apnea resulted in nocturnal seizures. They removed her adenoids at age 5 and they were definately the obstruction but the apnea has returned now that she is 8 and I don't know why. She doesn't have a complete cleft palate only her alveolar notch was affected (where her teeth are) She is scheduled for her bone graft this summer. I have always thought it related somehow to the cleft but how? I don't have much information but I am looking and hope to find some answers. Just wanted you to know there are others. Definately get a sleep study, they came to my home, hooked up electrodes all over her head and chest and then monitored her all night. She slept, but I didn't!! The tests showed she was having disrupted sleep patterns I believe more than 28 times during that night and it was an easy night for her. An ent diagnosed the adenoids were to blame at that time. But know I don't know, she also suffers from some slight allergies but don't know if that could be related as well. Just some thoughts. Write to me direct if you would like! Good luck.