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Children who persistently snore during their early childhood may be more likely to have behavioral problems such as aggression and hyperactivity, according to a new study.
Researchers studied 249 mother-child pairs and found the children who snored at both age 2 and age 3 were nearly 3.5 times more likely to have signs of behavioral issues when compared with those who did not snore at these ages, or who only snored during one of those years. Among the kids who snored at both ages, 35 percent showed signs of behavioral problems, while 10 percent in nonsnorers, and 12 percent in kids who only snored for one year, showed such signs.
The findings show the importance of getting good sleep, the researchers said.
"We know that if you take away naps for preschoolers, and then give them challenging tasks, they're grumpier," said lead study author Dean Beebe, director of the neuropsychology program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
The researchers tracked the children starting during their mothers' pregnancies until they were 3 years old, conducting phone interviews with mothers every few months to get a sense of their children's sleeping patterns and other activities. The researchers also met with the children every year to assess levels of behavioral problems in a face-to-face setting.
The finding is in line with previous work showing an association between snoring and behavioral issues, particularly when the snoring is persistent.
