Dr. Dassani’s guest on this episode of the “Healthy Sleep Revolution” podcast, is Dr. Christopher Hoffpauir, who shares the story of his own undiagnosed sleep apnea from childhood and how his experience has impacted both his life and work.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Hoffpauir’s journey
• The impact his own experiences have on how he practices today
• Dr. Hoffpauir’s advice to parents

Quotes:

“I was being spanked like 24/7.”

“I’m rather certain my parents thought I was brain damaged, too.”

“Kids should sleep like the dead.”

“I actually was the first child ever to be classified both as Gifted and Learning Disabled.”

“I spent most of my time drugged out of my mind!”

“A lot of the symptoms of being a drug addict are the same as having sleep disordered breathing.”

“I was literally told by one of my teachers that I was stupid, he would make fun of me in class.”

“The unlucky ones never wake up!”

“Most physicians, simply, they’re not trained for this, they’re not looking for this.”

“There simply aren’t a whole lot of great protocols for sleep apnea in children, other than cutting pieces off of them.

“You gave me my baby back.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In this episode of the “Healthy Sleep Revolution” podcast, Dr. Dassani discusses the many issues that can be associated with sleep disordered breathing, especially sleep apnea, in our kids.

Episode Highlights:

• The most common health, behavioral, and cognitive issues associated with sleep disordered breathing in kids
• The importance of the proper quantity and quality of sleep for children
• Communicating and working with health care providers to ‘connect the dots’ for children with sleep disordered breathing

Quotes:

“It’s restricting the brain from getting enough oxygen.”

“This is when that person stops breathing.”

“When our kids are sleeping that is when all the healing needs to happen.”

“These kids just don’t thrive the way we need them to.”

“We also tend to see higher rates of depression in children with sleep disordered breathing.”

“A child that is sleep deprived exhibits the same signs and symptoms as a child with ADD or ADHD.”

“They do end up…unfortunately sometimes being prescribed drugs that they might not need.”

“We see these kids making poor choices.”

“A lot of times we have to make sure we are addressing the fact that they are getting enough sleep.”

“What we truly need is a team that is going to be working toward looking at our child’s health as a whole…and it starts with us as parents.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In this episode of the “Healthy Sleep Revolution” podcast, Dr. Dassani is joined by her Office Manager, Christina Guth, who is also one of her all-time most favorite people and one of the main reasons Dr. Dassani started to explore the world of Sleep Apnea in children.

Episode Highlights:

• Christina’s story of Sleep Apnea and her own children
• The importance of parents looking for signs and symptoms of sleep disorders and talking about them with medical professionals
• Christina’s biggest message to parents

Quotes:

 “Go home and send me a picture of her tonsils.”

“Be prepared to…fight for your kids.”

“Just do a Sleep Study – it will change everything.”

“It was still there even after the tonsils were removed, so that’s the stinky part.”

“She pretty much begged the nurse to let her take the CPAP home.”

“It breaks your heart…to think…for five years, that was her normal, and you didn’t know!”

“Each step that we take you definitely see a difference. You know, you see the finish line getting closer and closer.”

“That very next week she got ‘Student of the Month’!”

“Don’t just take one doctor’s opinion.”

“Sometimes, unfortunately, these kids that are tired, that are acting a certain way just because they’re exhausted, no other reason, they tend to get labeled…as difficult kids.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In this episode of the “Healthy Sleep Revolution” podcast, Dr. Dassani discusses one of her most favorite topics, ADHD and sleep disorders. She provides an in-depth analysis of their symptoms, how they may be related, and the steps involved in diagnosing them.

Episode Highlights:

• Behaviors commonly associated with both ADHD and sleep disorders
• Signs of a sleep disturbance
• Signs of ADHD and how it is diagnosed
• The importance of evaluating a child’s sleep

Quotes:

“So many kids with ADHD are sleep challenged.”

“Sleep disorders are more common in children than we think.”

“Not getting enough sleep can cause or worsen ADHD symptoms.”

“My child’s a bear to wake up in the morning, they’re grumpy, it’s not their favorite time of day.”

“We do know that less sleep than the average child of their age – this should be cause for further investigation.”

“Sleep and ADHD can be a bit of a ‘chicken and egg’ situation.”

“What you truly, truly want is a team that is going to get the child the best care.”

“Pull out that phone – record them. When your doctor can see what you see at home, that information is priceless.”

“We know that sleep problems are definitely something to take into account when evaluating for ADHD symptoms.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In today’s episode, Dr. Dassani looks at the link between sleep apnea and athletes, and the importance of ensuring the right amount and quality of sleep.

Episode Highlights:

• The role that sleep plays in the athletic performance of children
• Some of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea, particularly in athletes
• How to determine if your child is suffering from sleep apnea
• The role your dentist can play in treating sleep apnea

Quotes:

“Obstructive sleep apnea affects as many as 22 million Americans! This includes adults as well as kids.”

“Latest research now links increased risk for sleep apnea in our athletes.”

 “Players with sleep apnea were shown to have a lower reaction time.”

“Sleep apnea was listed as a cause of the death of Reggie White, a former NFL defensive end.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In this episode, Dr. Dassani interviews her very dear friend Dr. Shakila Angadi - Dentist, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) Coach, and mom. Dr. Angadi shares her family’s journey as they searched for the causes and treatment of her son’s frustration, behavior and attention concerns.

Episode Highlights:

• Asking questions when your child experiences struggles until you get answers that make sense is critical
• Parents must be advocates for their children
• Focus and behavioral difficulties as well as frustration in children can all be symptoms of a lack of healthy sleep

Quotes:

 “I think something breaks inside of you when you start realizing that your child is acquiring these self-esteem issues.”

“Within a month…the teacher was giving me feedback that he was already improving in his reading, he was already improving in his Math, and he was able to focus better.”

“[The teacher] was telling me that almost all of the behavioral concerns that she had for him were actually eliminated.”

 “There is no such thing as a bad kid, all we have is a sleep deprived kid.”

“The signs and symptoms of a child that is sleep deprived are the exact same as those of a child that has ADHD.”

“I have my child back, and I’m so grateful for that. And you will be too if you keep asking questions.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry: https://www.dassanidentistry.com/podcast

Dr. Shakila Angadi’s homepage: https://www.theinspireddentist.com/

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

In this episode, Dr. Dassani offers in depth information regarding snoring, particularly in children. She thoroughly reviews the causes, symptoms, effects, and potential treatments of snoring, emphasizing the need for healthy, restful sleep for all, especially ‘our leaders of tomorrow.’

Episode Highlights:

• Why we snore, what it can mean, and what treatments are available
• When to make your dentist and other health care providers aware of snoring/breathing concerns
• Conditions which can affect the quality of our sleep

Quotes:

“The AAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that all kids should be screened for snoring…also says that 25 – 50 % of kids have some form of a sleep disorder.”

“When kids aren’t breathing enough – when there’s an obstruction – their brains aren’t  getting enough oxygen.”

“Sleep apnea does pose significant health risks for the heart and the lungs.”

“We have to diagnose early because of oxygen deprivation. If we don’t fix it by age 5, it’s going to be broken, and it’s going to be broken for good.”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry: https://www.dassanidentistry.com/podcast

American Academy of Pediatrics homepage:   https://www.aap.org/en-us/Pages/Default.aspx

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

Dr. Meghna Dassani and her team at Dassani Dentistry want to lead the revolution in awareness for healthy sleep! Through ‘The Healthy Sleep Revolution Podcast’ they aim to help everyone, and especially our children, to breath better, feel better, and get the best start in life!

In this opening episode, Dr. Dassani dives right in by discussing what healthy sleep is, what it’s not, the signs and symptoms we should be looking for, and what ‘sleep disorder breathing’ is all about.

Episode Highlights:

• The 3 main categories of sleep disorder breathing
• Signs and symptoms of sleep disorder breathing and how they can differ for each person 
• Focussing on healthy sleep - the ‘missing link’ in our wellness model

Quotes:

“Snoring does negatively affect the heart.”

“A lot of times we forget to make sure that we get healthy sleep.”

“We want to make sure we are not only getting enough hours of sleep, but we’re also getting quality sleep.”

“If your heart is having to work harder at night to make sure your brain is getting the oxygen it needs, how does that even make sense? When is the healing going to happen?”

“Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when we stop breathing, and we stop breathing for at least 10 seconds. And this can happen multiple times throughout the night. If you ask me, once is enough, right?”

“When was the last time that you got a good solid 7 - 8 hours of sleep, woke up the next morning, didn’t need an alarm, eyes open, and ready to go...and why would we not want that every day of our lives?”

Links:

Dassani Dentistry: https://www.dassanidentistry.com/podcast

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/

Snoring? Tired all day? Trouble focusing? So many think these symptoms are common in kids and adults when tired. Join us as we debunk some of these common myths and put the spotlight on Sleep Apnea. Discover what constitutes Healthy Sleep and how we can help ourselves and our kids get the best sleep ever.