Both adults and children may be required to use a CPAP machine to assist them in treating the condition of sleep apnea. However, the type of adult who is going to use a CPAP machine differs greatly from the type of children who use CPAP machines. This is because the effects of sleep apnea differ significantly when they are seen during youth as opposed to when they aren’t experienced until later in life.

The most significant difference between adults and children who suffer from sleep apnea is seen in their weight. Adults who need to use CPAP machines are almost always overweight, often to the point of being obese. In contrast, children with sleep apnea are typically thin. Sometimes they are excessively thin. This is because they aren’t capable of growing properly due to the poor circulation caused by the disease. In contrast, the weight problem for adults (being overweight) is a cause of the disease (rather than a symptom).

The cause of sleep apnea also tends to be different in children. Rather than a weight problem, there’s frequently an obstruction of the tonsils causing the disease in kids. There are other differences between children and adults with sleep apnea as well. For example, adults tend to be excessively tired during the day. Children tend to have the opposite problem of being hyperactive. Although this may be caused by being over-tired, it manifests itself differently in children. Despite these differences, the treatment is essentially the same.

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