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Sleep Quality vs. Sleep Hours: What Parents Need to Know

9 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment Hallie Bulkin emphasizes that a child's sleep quality, not just duration, is crucial for healthy cognitive development. She explains that disrupted sleep and airway obstruction, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can lower a child's IQ by 10–16 points compared to peers without sleep‑disordered breathing. Bulkin warns that many children diagnosed with ADHD or behavioral problems have never undergone a sleep or oral airway evaluation, urging parents and providers to consider sleep assessments to identify and treat underlying sleep disorders.

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It's not just about how many hours a child sleeps, it's about the quality of sleep. The sleep quality. Disrupted sleep and airway obstruction can significantly impact cognitive development. And this is not to scare you, parents and providers, but we need to be aware of this, right? Children with obstructive sleep apnea can score 10 to 16 IQ points lower than their peers without sleep-disordered breathing. Yet Many children who are diagnosed with ADHD or behavioral concerns have never had a sleep evaluation or an oral airway assessment.