The most likely explanation is that early mechanical stimulation of the gums and teeth leads to more optimal dental and jaw development. This goes along with Dr. Corrucinni’s work showing that eating softer foods is associated with a higher risk of malocclusion and dental crowding. Dental crowding, by definition, increases your risk of obstructive sleep apnea by crowding your breathing passageways. Bottle-feeding can also aggravate dental crowding as well. 

“There’s no doubt that ADHD medications can be lifesaving for millions of Americans, but there’s another dimension to this issue that’s being ignored by the mainstream media and the general public, despite growing evidence in published studies. 

It’s a general consensus in sleep medicine that sleep deprived adults get drowsy, whereas children become fidgety and hyperactive. Not only are todays’ children sleep deprived (homework, TV, etc.), many are not able to breathe properly at night, due to narrowed airways.

In a study published in Pediatrics in 2006, 28% of children scheduled for tonsillectomy were found to have undiagnosed ADHD, compared to 7% in controls. After tonsillectomy, 50% of the ADHD group were cured. Another study showed that children with ADHD are more likely to snore, and that about 25% of children with ADHD could be treated effectively by treating their sleep apnea.

Notice all the typical findings in a child with sleep-breathing problems that are also found with ADHD: inability to sleep supine, snoring, nasal congestion, mouth breathing, snoring parents, unrefreshing sleep, frequent urination, inability to focus or concentrate, history of needing braces, and bottle-feeding. You don’t have to be obese or snore to have sleep apnea.

It’s clear that in some children with ADHD, stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall work because they’re sleepy. My feeling is that all children with ADHD should be screened for obstructive sleep apnea.“

Let me make it clear that I’m NOT saying that all children with ADHD have obstructive sleep apnea. But even if it’s only 25% (a very conservative number), the implications are huge. If you look at the CDC’s website on ADHD statistics, it’s frightening. 

• 9.5% or 5.4 million children 4-17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007
• Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased an average of 3% per year from 1997 to 2006 [Read article ] and an average of 5.5% per year from 2003 to 2007
• Prevalence of parent-reported ADHD diagnosis varied substantially by state, from a low of 5.6% in Nevada to a high of 15.6% in North Carolina
• As of 2007, 2.7 million youth ages 4-17 years (66.3% of those with a current diagnosis) were receiving medication treatment for the disorder
• Rates of medication treatment for ADHD varied by age and sex; children aged 11-17 years of age were more likely than those 4-10 years of age to take medication, and boys are 2.8 times more likely to take medication than girls.

Remember that these are 2007 statistics. Ten percent of the pediatric population has ADHD, and 6-7% are on medications! As a population, we’re much heavier than we were 5 years ago, which means that these figures are probably an underestimation. The children that we’re medicating now are mostly likely the ones that we’re going to have to give even more medications to later in life after they develop the medical complications of untreated obstructive sleep apnea (diabetes, depression, anxiety, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, heart attack and stroke). In my mind, all these conditions are connected. They are all one and the same disease, but with different manifestations.

I was thinking if fluoride can affect the middle ear bones, can’t it also affect a developing fetus or infant’s jaw development? Premature hardening and early maturation could lead to suboptimal jaw growth, which can predispose to obstructive sleep apnea. This is in addition to all the other various risk factors that can prevent proper jaw development (soft food consistency, bottle-feeding, etc.). Almost every younger patient I see today has significant dental crowding and narrowed arches. Having smaller jaws leaves less room for your regular sized tongue and other soft tissues of the throat, leading to more frequent breathing problems while you sleep. No wonder why most modern humans these days can’t sleep on their backs.

Sure enough, if you comb through the research literature, there are a number of studies that directly or indirectly support my suspicion. For example, rats fed fluoride were found to have significantly diminished horizontal mandibular dimensions. Another study showed that addition of sodium fluoride to explants of embryonic rat palates lead to retardation of the palatal shelf growth and lack of fusion. I’m sure there are dozens, if not hundreds of other similar commonly used chemicals that can retard proper growth and development in all age groups.

Doing some more research on the internet, there seems to be a growing grass-roots movement to remove fluoride from our drinking water. Here’s a site that lists 50 reasons why fluoride is dangerous to our health. One of their main arguments is that the original studies cited to make the argument for adding fluoride were flawed and that there’s no convincing proof that it prevents dental caries. I take all these arguments with a grain of salt, but these are serious issues that need further discussion. I always wondered why a dangerous chemical that I used in my organic chemistry class is so commonly used for every-day purposes (water, toothpaste, etc.).

Am I being overly paranoid, or is there some merit to this argument?

The safest gestational age is 39 to 40 weeks, and with each week that babies are delivered earlier, the higher the risk of complications such as respiratory distress, jaundice, infections, low blood sugar, or extra days spent in the hospital.

For example, infants born at 36 to 38 weeks had 2.5 times higher rates of complications compared with infants born at 39 to 40 weeks. The death rate at 37 weeks is 2-3 times that at 40 weeks. Infants’ brains at 35 weeks are only 2/3 the weight of those born at 39 to 40 weeks.

Another under-appreciated process that’s rarely mentioned is that infants’ faces and jaws are not fully formed when born premature. At the other extreme of this spectrum are babies born with Downs syndrome (DS) or cerebral palsy (CP). We know that these two conditions, as well as various other craniofacial conditions have much higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea.

In a study published in the European Journal of Orthopedics, researchers showed that the presence of DS or CP, bottle-feeding, and non-nutritive sucking habits (thumb sucking), and recent respiratory infections significantly increases the chances of various levels of malocclusion (open bite deformities and crossbites).

This goes to show that any degree of jaw underdevelopment, as well as early feeding habits can significantly increase your chances of developing obstructive sleep apnea later on in life. 

Not getting enough sleep can definitely cause more facial wrinkles, but here are 7 more ways to make sure that you get even more wrinkles, have more aches and pains, feel old, or even die sooner.

1. Eat or snack close to bedtime.

Going to bed on a full stomach may help you fall asleep faster, but once you’re asleep, you’re more likely to have reflux into the throat, leading to more frequent breathing obstructions and arousals, leading to inefficient sleep. 

Most modern humans have dental crowding and smaller jaws. Since soft tissues such as the tongue and nasal septum grow to their genetically predetermined size, the airway gets crowded. This leads to more frequent obstructions when on your back (due to gravity) and especially when in deep sleep (due to muscle relaxation). The more juices you have in your stomach when you go to bed, the more likely it’ll come up when you stop breathing.

Your stomach juices include not only acid, but also bile, digestive enzymes, and even bacteria. These substances can cause even more inflammation and swelling in your throat, leading more more obstructions and arousals. 

If you want to gain weight, continue eating late. Lack of sleep quantity or sleep quality has been shown to promote weight gain, which leads to more narrowing in your throat. 

2. Drink a night cap before bedtime

Alcohol may help you to fall asleep better and faster, but it causes your throat muscles to relax and you’ll stop breathing much more often, preventing you from achieving continuous deep and REM sleep. Not sleeping deeply can increase stress levels, making it difficult to shut down your brain when you’re trying to fall asleep. Drinking alcohol before bedtime can help you to go to sleep, but you end up aggravating this vicious cycle. Alcohol also irritate the stomach, creating more acid production.

3. Sleep on your back

Modern humans, due to smaller than normal jaws, are unable to breathe well during sleep when supine due to the tongue falling back (due to gravity) and especially in deep sleep (muscles relax). The more crowded your mouth is (if you needed braces), the more likely you’re going to be a natural side or stomach sleeper. Anything that prevents you from your normal preferred position will increase the number of obstructions and arousals, leading to less efficient sleep. One way to make sure that you sleep on your back is to get injured or undergo surgery—this will definitely lower your sleep quality.

4. Undergo rhinoplasty

Whenever the surgeon narrows the tip, cartilage in your nostrils are weakened, and years later, are more likely to cave in whenever your inhale. If you have a deviated nasal septum, or allergies, the weakened nostrils are more likely to collapse inwards, leading to a vacuum effect in the throat, with more frequent tongue collapses (especially if you have small jaws, eat late or drink late). Look for a surgeon that doesn’t take the steps needed to prevent this from happening if you want to have more breathing problems later in life. 

5. Bottle-feed as an Infant

Dentists have shown that the physical act of bottle-feeding changes your bite and dental structures, leading to a higher incidence of malocclusion. This leads to crowded teeth and narrow dental arches, which can increase your chances of developing obstructive sleep apnea later in life. If you want to make things worse, use pacifiers whenever possible and encourage thumb-sucking for as long as possible.

6. Undergo jaw surgery

Jaw operations are commonly performed to correct bite or occlusion problems, but one thing that surgeons frequently don’t address is the fact that any time the upper or lower jaw is pushed back, the airway can become more compromised. As a result, your smile and your bite can improve, but your ability to breathe properly at night will go downhill. Not sleeping efficiently can significantly increase your rate of aging.

7. Don’t treat your sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that becomes more common as we all get older. People with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly at night, without even realizing it. This causes a major physiologic stress response that wreaks havoc on your body. Even growth hormone levels are diminished. In fact, about 1/4 of men and 1/10 of women are thought to have unrelated obstructive sleep apnea. After age 60 to 70, some studies show that the vast majority have obstructive sleep apnea, especially if you have chronic medical conditions or are institutionalized. 

Efficient sleep (quantity and quality) is essential for healing, regeneration, and rejuvenation. Ignoring your breathing problems while sleeping is a surefire way to age faster. If you really want to have more facial wrinkles, wait until you’re much older to address any underlying sleep-breathing issues you may have. 

Biofilms are the pathology de jour in chronic sinusitis research right now. A few years ago, it was our immune system’s response to funguses. Before that, it was allergies, and before that, bacteria. As long as we’re convinced that it’s a bad organism or agent that’s attacking our body (sinus) cavities, you may get rid of the infection, but you’re doing nothing to treat what’s actually causing the inflammation that leads to blockage of the sinuses. The same analogy can be made for anti-reflux medications. None of the proton pump inhibitors (like Prilosec or Nexium) or H2 blockers (like Zantac) actually do anything to prevent reflux. It only lowers acid production, without doing anything to prevent regurgitation of stomach juices into the esophagus or throat.

Interestingly, a recent large scale study showed that the vast majority of people who suffer from recurrent sinus infections, pain and headaches are actually suffering from migraines. This is a neurologic form of inflammation in the sinuses, which over-reacts to weather changes, chemicals, scents, or odors. Chronic inflammation can lead to swelling, leading to blockage of sinuses, which can predispose to infections by bacteria that normally live in your nose.

Saline is also commonly recommended for chronic sinus sufferers, but it’s a double edged sword: A recent study showed that people who used nasal saline irrigation frequently had more episodes of infection than those who didn’t. Yes, saline irrigation flushes out pollutants and bacteria, but it can also cause paralysis of the cilia, which are finger-like projections that move nasal mucous back into your throat. Saline is like a mild version of Afrin – it’s still a decongestant. This is why some people have to use saline every day, sometimes 3-5 times per day. They’re addicted, just like with Afrin.

Sinus problems are much more common these days due to underdevelopment of our facial bones, which also include our jaws. Over the past few hundred years, due to a radical shift in our diets, as well as our eating habits (soft, mushy foods, bottle feeding, etc.), our jaws are not expanding to their full potential. If your facial skeletons don’t grow as much, the natural nasal and sinus passageways will be more narrow, becoming more predisposed to obstruction with colds, allergies, or any kind of inflammation.

This is why most people with chronic sinusitis can’t (or prefer not to) sleep on their backs. Due to smaller oral cavity volume, the tongue takes up relatively too much space, which leads to more frequent obstruction while breathing at night. Breathing pauses (apneas) then can suction up your normal stomach juices into your throat, lungs and nose, causing more inflammation. Most people with chronic sinusitis will also have sleep-difficulty and one or both parents will be heavy snorers with typically undiagnosed sleep apnea.

I presented a poster many years ago looking at the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea in people who had persistent or recurrent symptoms after nasal or sinus surgery. Almost 80% were found to have significant obstructive sleep apnea. Now that I look for and treat sleep-breathing problems before considering surgery, the need to go on to sinus surgery has plummeted. Plus they sleep better.

1. There’s definitely more awareness of these two conditions (ADHD and autism), as well as more inclusive criteria for diagnosis
2. Implementation of the back to sleep campaign about 20 years ago
3. Worsened diet
4. Bottle-feeding
5. Environmental endocrine disruptors
6. Less total sleep time
7. increased incidence of allergies and food sensitivities.

There’s even evidence showing that common motor-skill milestones are often coming in delayed, since infants are not spending as much time on their tummies, even during the day. As expected, skull deformities (flat head) are much more common since the back to sleep campaign.

What does this have to do with obstructive sleep apnea? Here are 3 important reasons:

1. Factors 2 to 6 all significantly increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea, through either poor jaw development or inflammation of the upper airway.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea can predispose to obesity, which narrows your airway even further
   
3. Sleep-breathing problems begin during infancy, and the lack of deep, efficient sleep, not to mention frank hypoxia from apneas, can be detrimental to the infant’s brain development and biochemical pathways.

I realize that there are a number of other possible reasons for ADHD or autism (probably a combination of many factors), but not getting deep sleep can be a major barrier to proper brain development. Studies are definitely needed in this matter. Unfortunately, the medical/pharmaceutical industry is unlikely to change the status quo.

What do you think about this study? It is from over-reporting or more awareness, or is it for real?

You might be asking by now, “What does all this have to do with sleep apnea?”

My answer is, everything. If you happen to follow my blog, I’ve shown studies linking obstructive sleep apnea to almost every chronic health condition out there. This is based on published, peer-reviewed studies. What I did was only to connect all the dots, so to speak, to conceive of my sleep-breathing paradigm: That all modern humans, due to jaw underdevelopment, have various degrees of sleep-breathing problems, where only the end result is called obstructive sleep apnea. This problem begins while you’re an infant, and is aggravated by dietary and behavioral factors such as bottle-feeding, thumb-sucking, and eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). It’s also possible that the back to sleep campaign (although it lowered the SIDS rate by 40%), by forcing infants to sleep on their backs, may inadvertently prevent quality deep sleep in infants. Babies need good amounts of deep sleep for memory consolidation and brain development.

We also know that multiple breathing pauses can cause your stomach juices to reflux into your throat, and then into your lungs (or nose). This can cause various degrees of inflammation. Neurologically, your lungs will tend to over-react to weather changes, such as cold air, or even temperature or humidity changes. Breathing problems can also cause poor quality sleep, leading to major alterations in your brain biochemistry.

Poor sleep can also aggravate or promote the onset of depression. Faulty neurotransmitters or even structural damage from poor sleep can also cause your brain signals to misfire, or activate disinhibition of certain behaviors.

It’s no wonder that in one way or another there are studies (or will be studies) that connect all the various medical conditions already mentioned to one another. So it’s not too far fetched to argue that a large proportion of these children on chronic long-term medications may also have some kind of a sleep-breathing problem.

What do you think about my arguments? A realistic, but scary possibility, or too far fetched?

Researchers from Oxford University in the UK found that infants who were breast-fed for at least 4 months had a 33% less chance of having behavioral problems by age 5. They speculate that breast milk has higher amounts of healthy fatty acids, growth factors and hormones that contribute to healthier brain development.

The one thing that all these studies fail to address is that bottle-feeding can cause malocclusion and jaw narrowing. The smaller your jaws, the less room there is for your tongue, which can cause breathing problems when the infant is placed on his back. Add muscle relaxation from deep sleep, and you’re going to deprive infants of quality deep sleep which is vital for proper brain development. With the addition of back sleeping in infants to bottle-feeding, it’s likely that this combination is a major reason for the significant rise in pediatric developmental problems that are so rampant these days.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, were you breast or bottle-fed as an infant?

One major omission from the conclusion of this study is the fact that breast-feeding protects against developing obstructive sleep apnea. Dentists have long said that bottle-feeding promotes malocclusion and dental crowding. The smaller the jaws, the less room there is for the tongue, and the more often you’ll stop breathing at night.

Another important point is that pumped breast milk is not the same as breast-feeding. Unfortunately, our society and modern time don’t make it easy to exclusively breastfeed.

What are your thoughts on this? If you have sleep apnea, do you remember if you were breast or bottle-fed?