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Arousal norms for children age 5-16 years based on home polysomnography
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Park Hospital for Children, Headington, UK.
Insights
This study established normative data for sleep arousals in children aged 5-16. Findings indicate low arousal rates in children, suggesting sleep quality improves with age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neurophysiology
- Clinical Polysomnography
Background:
- Sleep fragmentation via brief arousals is linked to poor sleep quality.
- Limited normative data exists for sleep arousals, particularly in pediatric populations.
- Understanding childhood sleep arousal patterns is crucial for diagnosing sleep disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative data for sleep arousals in children aged 5-16 years.
- To investigate age and sex differences in childhood sleep arousal frequency and duration.
- To provide benchmarks for assessing pediatric sleep quality in clinical and research settings.
Main Methods:
- Home polysomnography was conducted for one night on 61 children aged 5-16 years.
- Sleep arousals were identified using American Sleep Disorders Association criteria.
- Data was analyzed across five age subgroups, comparing arousal frequency and duration between sexes.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in average arousal rates per hour of sleep were found across age subgroups.
- Individual variations in arousal frequency and duration were observed at all age levels.
- Arousal duration was slightly longer in younger children; arousal rates were low and increased with age.
- No significant sex differences in arousal frequency or duration were detected.
- Arousal frequency showed a modest correlation with polysomnography (PSG) awakenings.
Conclusions:
- The study provides valuable normative data for childhood sleep arousals.
- Low arousal rates in children align with evidence of increasing arousal rates throughout life.
- These norms can aid clinicians and researchers in evaluating children's sleep quality.
Abstract:
Fragmentation of sleep by brief arousals has become an acknowledged aspect of poor quality sleep but there is a shortage of normative data on such arousals, especially for children. Norms for arousals (defined according to American Sleep Disorders Association criteria) were compiled for 61 children age 5-16 years using the Oxford Medilog system for a single night of home polysomnography. No significant differences were seen between the five age subgroups considered in average number of arousals per hour of sleep although individual differences were apparent at each age level and arousal duration was somewhat longer at younger ages. The low arousal rates in the children studied are in keeping with other evidence that arousal rates increase throughout life. Boys were no different from girls in either arousal frequency or duration. Arousal frequency was correlated with PSG awakenings but only to a modest extent. These new normative values should be useful in clinical practice and research for the assessment of the quality of children's sleep.