Ann Arbor, Mich.

Inattentive and hyperactive children experience more frequent snoring, more severe daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System.

The study, published in the March issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, shows that children who snore are nearly twice as likely as other children to have problems with attention and hyperactivity. Habitual snoring increases the chances of hyperactivity in children from 12 percent to 22 percent, researchers found. In young boys, snoring increases chances of hyperactivity from 9 percent to 30 percent.

“If there is indeed a cause-and-effect link, sleep problems in children could represent a major public health issue,” said Ronald Chervin, director of the university's Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory and lead author of the study. “It's conceivable that by better identifying and treating children's snoring and other nighttime breathing problems, we could help address some of the most common and challenging childhood behavioral issues.”

However, Chervin acknowledged that additional research is necessary to determine if snoring and other symptoms of SDB contribute directly to behavioral disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And, the authors of the study did not rule out the possibility that hyperactive behavior might lead to — instead of being caused by — SDB symptoms.

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