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Sleep problems in primary school children: comparison between mainstream and special school children

L Quine1

  • 1Centre for Research in Health Behaviour, Department of Psychology, University of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent, UK. L.Quine@ukc.ac.uk

Child: Care, Health and Development
|May 15, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Children in special schools show higher rates of dyssomnias and obstructive sleep apnoea features than those in mainstream schools. Parasomnias were less frequently elevated in special school populations, indicating distinct sleep issue patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are common in childhood, impacting development and well-being.
  • Understanding the prevalence and correlates of specific sleep disorders in children is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Differences in sleep problems between children in mainstream and special education settings are not well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of dyssomnias, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) features, and parasomnias in primary school children.
  • To examine the social correlates of these sleep problems, comparing children in mainstream versus special schools.
  • To identify factors associated with common sleep issues like settling problems, bed-sharing, and night waking.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving primary school children aged 4-12 years.
  • Parental questionnaires were distributed through head teachers of randomly selected mainstream and special schools.
  • Data collected on sleep behaviors, including dyssomnias, OSA features, and parasomnias, and analyzed using correlational methods.

Main Results:

  • Children in special schools exhibited significantly higher rates of four out of five investigated dyssomnias and all assessed OSA features compared to mainstream school children.
  • Conversely, only two of seven parasomnias were more prevalent in the special school group.
  • Age, gender, child, family, and environmental factors were correlated with frequent settling problems, bed-sharing, and night waking.

Conclusions:

  • Children in special schools face a higher burden of certain sleep disorders, particularly dyssomnias and OSA-related issues.
  • The distinct patterns of sleep problems suggest different underlying causes or contributing factors in special needs populations.
  • Findings highlight the need for tailored sleep assessments and interventions for children in special education settings.

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