J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  2007 Nov;15(2):185-191.

Characteristics of Sleep Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

• Yoon JM
• Lee HR
• Lee KH

Abstract

PURPOSE: Sleep disorders are common diseases in childhood and adolescence. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, headache, etc caused by sleep disorders may affect daily activities and school performance. Authors conducted this study to understand the clinical characteristics of sleep disorders in pediatric patients.
METHODS
The subjects consisted of 88 patients under 16 years of age who visited Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital and Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital with sleep disorders for one and half years. Diagnosis was made according to the international classification of sleep disorders-2(ICSD-2) with sleep questionnaire, sleep diaries, night-time video recordings and performed electroencephalogram or polysomnography when needed.
RESULTS
The mean age was 7.5 years old, and the male to female ratio was 1.1:1(46: 42). A total of 88 patients consisted of parasomnia of 31(35.2%), insomnia of 27(30.7%), circadian-rhythm sleep disorders of 15(17.0%), sleep-related breathing disorders of 11 (12.5%), and hypersomnia of 4(4.5%). While sleep-onset associated disorders were most common in patients under 3 years old, parasomnia, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) were common in a descending order of frequency in 3-8 years old. Furthermore, school-age patients had circadian-rhythm sleep disorders, insomnia, and hypersomnia in order of frequency. 38 patients(43.2%) complained of headache, 15 patients(17%) fatigue, and others difficulty in waking up in the morning, abdominal pain, attention deficit, hyperactivity, and learning difficulty.
CONCLUSION
Pediatric sleep disorders, which variably decrease the quality of life in childhood and adolescence, frequently overlooked by their parents or physicians. Therefore it is important for pediatricians have more interest and better understanding of sleep disorders.

Keyword

Sleep disorders; Childhood and adolescence

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Adolescent*
Child, Preschool
Classification
Diagnosis
Disorders of Excessive Somnolence
Electroencephalography
Fatigue
Female
Headache
Heart
Humans
Learning
Male
Parasomnias
Parents
Polysomnography
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires
Respiration
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive
Sleep Wake Disorders*
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Video Recording