I was recently invited to speak as a panelist at an international women’s conference called Thrive Go Global Women’s Conference. The theme of the conference was “Thrive.” I sat with other female health care professionals to discuss aspects of a woman’s health and its impact on her ability to thrive. Within my topic - the role of sleep in women’s health - I realized again how important sleep is to a woman’s ability to thrive. As a sleep medicine expert, I had the privilege of discussing sleep as a critical aspect of thriving. I highlight key aspects of our panel discussion in this blog.

In my practice, I see many children with medical sleep problems, including Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a common and serious sleep problem in children that can affect the quality of your child’s sleep. It occurs when a child has breathing pauses while sleeping and causes sleep fragmentation, daytime sleepiness, and behavioral problems. Like adults, untreated sleep apnea is related to poor health outcomes, and it should be diagnosed and treated early.