More parents are waking up to the fact that sleep disorders are more common than most of us think. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics and doctors continue to warn parents that sleep disorders can trick you into thinking you’re dealing with something else all together.
Dr. Akinyemi Ajayi, the Medical Director of Children’s Sleep Lab, says that when a child is tired and can’t focus in the classroom or they’re fidgeting to stay awake, a teacher sees that and may presume the child has ADD and ADHD.
Parents Garrett and Joey Myers had the same problem with their twin daughters Monica and Megan. The girls were never diagnosed with a learning disorder, and it was a journey of many doctor visits to figure out why there girls where having behavioral problems.
“It’s a never ending battle of what looks like eating disorder or anxiety or OCD,” said Garret Myers, the girls’ father.
As the parents visited one medical expert after the next, mom Joey Myers, tried to ask doctors if the twins could possibly have narcolepsy, like she was diagnosed with in adulthood. So finally, the Myers met Dr. Ajayi, who after a series of test, determined the twins did have narcolepsy.
The girls are now being treated at separate therapeutic boarding schools out of state. “They basically have to finish growing up,” said Garrett Myers. “They stopped and at 10-years old, they regressed.”
Now the parents are trying to educate others moms and dad to be vigilant if they feel their child might be experiencing problems because of a sleep disorder.
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