Signs of ADHD = Signs of Sleep Disorders
Now, I will begin by admitting I am no expert, and I am not a doctor. I cannot diagnose ADHD, nor do I claim to treat ADHD.
However, there are many signs and symptoms of ADHD that are exactly the same signs of sleep disorders - which can be directly related to how someone breathes - which can be directly related to obstructions and restrictions that affect how we swallow and breathe. This falls under the category of orofacial myofunctional disorders. Therefore, myofunctional therapy can help!
We are born with the ability to breathe, suck, and swallow.
We then learn over the progression of life how to do other things like eat solids, sit up, stand, walk, run, etc…
We cannot survive on our own without being able to breathe, suck, and swallow.
But, when one, two, or three of these things are compromised it affects our entire health and wellbeing.
How do I know?
If you think your child has some signs of ADHD (or even if they are already being treated for ADHD), I would suggest taking a photo of them when they are watching television, riding in the car, playing a game, reading, whatever - just photograph them when they don’t know you are taking a picture. Then take a photo of them while sleeping. I want you to look closely at the position of their mouths.
Is their mouth open? If so - then they are mouth breathing. Think of the movie Napoleon Dynamite. That character is a little extreme - but when one lives with an “open mouth rest posture” they are breathing through their mouths. Over time this will lead to very dry, cracked lips, regressed chin and face, longer shaped face, roof of the mouth becoming very high (which means the the nasal cavity shrinks), dark circles under their eyes, shrunken upper lips and protruding lower lip, sometimes a gummy appearing smile, and less definition to their jawline/cheekbones/chin (facial profile).
And that’s just appearances…
What about their behavior?
They can’t focus as much since they are not getting all the enriched quality of oxygen to their logical portion of their brains, they don’t sleep as soundly (as deep), they may still wet the bed, they may suffer from nightmares, and they probably sleep somewhat messy (a lot of tossing, turning, kicking, and possibly hitting during sleep). They are fighting to breathe all night which means they wake up unrested and moody.
In children, exhaustion comes across as hyperactivity. Sounds strange… but how many times has your child gotten very hyper right before bedtime? Kids that have ADHD signs are exhausted and demonstrate this hyperactivity all day.
Oftentimes, determining why the child is mouth breathing and suffering from proper sleep can resolve a lot of other concerns in their day to day life.
Orofacial myofunctional disorders revolve around the muscles that affect our ability to suck, swallow, and breathe. Myofunctional Method recognizes restrictions or obstructions and then works around them to utilize the muscles of the face and mouth in the way they were designed to work. I also work closely with a team of other health care professionals when other modes of treatment are indicated (such as tongue tie surgery, ear/nose/throat obstructions, overcrowded mouths, and more).
I created Myofunctional Method because I do not want other children to suffer or be sent from doctor to doctor never connecting the dots - never finding that missing puzzle piece that helps improve the functions of their entire day to day life.
If you want more information, then feel free to contact me or even just send me that photograph of your child when they are just hanging out or sleeping with their mouths open. So… let’s talk!
Text: 832-535-2425