Epidemiology of sleep disturbances in children and adolescents

1
Epidemiology of sleep disturbances in children
and adolescents

• M Maldonado

2
Sleep disturbances

• They occur frequently in children and adolescents
• A conservative figure may be 15 of all children
  in an open population
• Or up to 25 (Heussler et al, 2005. Stores, 1998)
• More frequent in children with other
  difficulties, e.g. developmental disorders,
  attention deficit, regulatory disturbances.

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Prevalence of some sleep disorders

• Surveys with the open population
• House to house surveys in a sample population
• Interview or questionnaires
• Parental report and childs report

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Prevalence

• Highest prevalence may be at 2 years of age
  (Zuckerman et al, 1987)
• 15 of children may have some parasomnia (Anders
  et al, 1997)

5
Study in Switzerland (Jenni et al, 2005)

• Longitudinal study, 493 children
• Interviews first two years of life and annually
  till age 18
• Co sleeping at first rare, 10 of parents
• Cosleeping increased with age 4 (38) and 44
  between ages of 2 and 7

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Study in Switzerland (Jenni et al, 2005)

• Night waking was frequent, peak at age 3 (22
  woke up every night age 3)
• Less than 10 had sleep resistance at bedtime
• Bedsharing and night waking tended to persist
  over time

7
Study in Switzerland (Jenni et al, 2005)

• Explanations
• Attachment needs of infants
• Greater locomotion at preschool age
• Also increased cognition and night time fears
• Bed resistance seemed transient