Sleep Disorders Can Impair Children's IQs As Much As Lead Exposure

Image via Wikipedia In a recent study, UVA discovered that youngsters who snore nightly scored significantly lower on vocabulary tests than those who snore less often. 
 
"Vocabulary scores are known to be the best single predictor of a child's IQ and the strongest predictor of academic success," explains Dr. Paul M. Suratt, a pulmonologist who directs the UVa Sleep Laboratory. 

According to Dr. Suratt, the vocabulary differences associated with nightly snoring are equivalent to the IQ dissimilarities attributed to lead exposure. "Studies show that, even at nontoxic levels, lead exposure can reduce a child's IQ by more than seven points," he notes.

Sleep Disorders Can Impair Children's IQs As Much As Lead Exposure

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