Hi there --

My younger son, 9, has been using a bipap for years because of his collapsing airway and apnea with great results.

Our older son, nearly 12, is being treated for bipolar disorder and tourettes. His t.s. presents as facial grimacing and vocal tics. He had been telling us that he has been waking up at night trying to catch his breath. And because of behaviors consistent with his diagnosis, we really couldn't tell if he was actually sleep disturbed or not -- nothing was obvious as it was with our younger boy.

Last night he had his sleep study. I stayed in the same room as he and if I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed what he experienced. He woke up nearly hyperventilating several times. Once he went into t.s. type "grunting". It was unreal. I have a little hop that if we can now address this night issue we can improve the quality of his daily life.

Has anyone else had any experience with sleep apnea/disorder and tourettes?

Thanks,
Julie