It is very important for parents to recognize the signs of sleep disturbances in babies and treat them immediately. Disturbed sleep in babies can be fatal if oxygen levels or the baby's heart rate becomes too low.
Even if an infant has a severe episode, a seemingly life-threatening event (called ALTE) has been found to cause long-term complications and increase the risk of unexpected death. Fortunately, sleep disorders in babies can be treated. So, if you are concerned about your baby's nocturnal breathing, don't hesitate to talk to an expert infant sleep trainer via https://www.babysleepmagic.com/pages/meet-chantal-1.
Central Sleep Apnea: The brain does not signal the muscles to tell them to breathe, this is most common in infants.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Occurs when an obstruction blocks the airway.
Mixed Apnea: a combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.
No one is sure what causes sleep apnea in babies, but it is most likely that the central nervous system is causing problems because it is immature.
There are many other possibilities, such as heart or blood vessel problems, birth defects, infections, brain bleeding, breathing problems, digestive problems, chemical imbalances, and exposure to drugs or toxins.
Periodic breathing, on the other hand, is normal for babies under 6 months. The child may breathe rapidly for a short time, then stop breathing for about 15 seconds, and then breathe normally again.
Doctors can tell if a baby has sleep apnea or intermittent breathing by measuring the baby's blood oxygen level, monitoring breathing and heart rate, and possibly taking x-rays. Doctors can even create a polysomnogram that monitors various aspects of a baby's sleep.