As a family-friendly lifestyle blog focused on real life with kids, I’ve shared everything from weekend adventures to everyday parenting challenges here on For The Love To. But today, I want to talk about something far more important — something that many families across Garden City, Long Island, and surrounding areas may not realize is affecting their children.
Many kids, some as young as four years old, struggle to breathe properly at night — and most parents don’t even realize it.
Snoring, restless sleep, mouth breathing, and daytime fatigue are often brushed off as “normal.” But when these signs are linked to an airway issue, they can quietly impact a child’s sleep, behavior, learning, and overall health during critical stages of growth.
What Is Pediatric Airway Screening?
Pediatric airway screening is a proactive evaluation of how well a child is breathing, especially during sleep. Unlike a standard dental or orthodontic exam, airway screening focuses on the airway itself — not just teeth.
Families looking for airway screening on Long Island often don’t realize how connected breathing is to sleep quality, focus, and development.
When a child’s airway is compromised, their brain and heart may not receive adequate oxygen during sleep, which can affect growth, learning, and behavior over time.

Signs Your Child May Have an Airway Problem
Many airway concerns show up in ways parents don’t immediately connect to breathing. Some common signs include:
- Snoring (even occasional snoring)
- Restless or poor-quality sleep
- Mouth breathing, especially at night
- Daytime fatigue
- Difficulty focusing at school
- Hyperactivity or ADHD-like symptoms
- Morning irritability
- Dark circles under the eyes
As parents juggling school schedules, activities, and everyday life here on Long Island, it’s easy to normalize these things — something I talk about often across my family lifestyle and wellness content. But these symptoms are not benign and deserve a closer look.
I do want to be clear — I’m not a doctor. I’m a parent who spends a lot of time learning, asking questions, and sharing information that I wish more families had access to sooner. Through conversations with medical professionals, orthodontists, and other parents, I’ve learned how closely sleep, breathing, and development are connected in children. The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve realized how important it is for parents to be informed and empowered to ask the right questions when something doesn’t feel quite right.
How Airway Issues Affect Behavior, Learning, and Focus
One of the most surprising things many families learn during a pediatric airway screening in Garden City, NY is how closely airway health is linked to behavior.
Research has shown strong correlations between sleep-disordered breathing in children and symptoms often labeled as ADHD. When kids aren’t getting deep, restorative sleep, their nervous systems stay in a heightened stress state.
That stress can show up as:
- Trouble focusing
- Emotional dysregulation
- Hyperactivity
- Learning challenges
Sometimes the issue isn’t behavioral at all — it’s physiological.
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How CBCT Imaging Helps Detect Airway Problems Early
At Impressions NY, conveniently located on Old Country Road in Garden City, pediatric airway screenings use CBCT imaging, an advanced 3D technology that allows providers to clearly visualize the airway and surrounding structures.
This technology makes it possible to objectively assess:
- Airway size and volume
- Narrow or restricted areas
- Jaw and facial development
- Tongue position
- Nasal airway space
These are things that cannot be seen with a standard exam, making CBCT imaging an important tool for families seeking an accurate airway evaluation on Long Island.
Why Seeing a Functional Orthodontist Matters
Dr. Hope is a functional orthodontist in Garden City, NY, which means she looks at how the teeth, jaws, muscles, and airway work together — not just straight teeth.
Airway-focused orthodontic care often requires collaboration, which is why Impressions NY works closely with a multidisciplinary team, including:
- Myofunctional therapists
- ENT specialists
- Oral surgeons
This team-based approach helps determine whether an airway issue exists, how significant it is, and which provider is best suited to help each child.
What Happens During a Pediatric Airway Screening?
Families visiting Impressions NY for a pediatric airway screening on Long Island are guided through a thoughtful consultation designed to answer three essential questions:
Is this affecting my child’s airway?
If so, how significant is the problem?
Who is the right provider to help?
The goal is clarity — not pressure.
Depending on the child’s needs, next steps may include orthodontic expansion, myofunctional therapy, medical management, or referral to an ENT or oral surgeon.
Treatment Options Look Different for Every Child
An airway screening does not automatically mean orthodontic treatment.
Depending on the child, solutions may include:
- Orthodontic expansion
- Myofunctional therapy
- ENT evaluation
- Medical management
- Surgical consultation when appropriate
Early detection gives families more options — especially while a child is still growing.
Why Early Detection Can’t Wait
Children grow quickly — and so do their airways.
Identifying airway concerns early can:
- Improve sleep quality
- Support healthy brain development
- Reduce behavioral challenges
- Improve learning and focus
- Positively influence facial growth
- Enhance overall quality of life
This proactive approach aligns with the parenting mindset I share throughout my journey on my About Me page — staying informed helps us advocate better for our kids.
Free Pediatric Airway Screenings in Garden City, Long Island
Impressions NY offers free pediatric airway screenings for families in Garden City, Long Island, and nearby communities.
Parents who notice symptoms — or simply want peace of mind — can schedule a consultation to understand whether an airway issue may be affecting their child and what steps may be helpful moving forward.
Thoughts From One Parent to Another
If your child snores, struggles to breathe at night, wakes up tired, or has trouble focusing during the day, a pediatric airway screening in Garden City, NY could provide answers you didn’t realize you were missing.
This isn’t about labels or rushing into treatment. It’s about understanding your child’s health, sleep, and development — and knowing when to take action.
Helping kids breathe better today can truly shape healthier futures tomorrow.
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Great information that I was unaware of thanks for sharing this it’s very helpful