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Sleep duration from infancy to adolescence: reference values and generational trends.
Ivo Iglowstein1, Oskar G Jenni, Luciano Molinari
1Growth and Development Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Pediatrics
|February 4, 2003
Summary
Total sleep duration significantly decreases from infancy to adolescence, with less variability in older children. These findings help healthcare professionals understand typical sleep patterns in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Developmental Psychology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Sleep patterns undergo significant changes throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Understanding normative sleep duration is crucial for identifying sleep disturbances in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish percentile curves for total, nighttime, and daytime sleep duration from infancy to late adolescence.
- To illustrate the developmental trajectory and age-specific variability of sleep duration.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 493 children using sleep questionnaires from infancy to 16 years.
- Calculation of Gaussian percentiles for sleep duration metrics.
- Estimation of mean sleep duration using generalized additive models and loess smoothers.
Main Results:
- Total sleep duration declined from 14.2 hours (SD: 1.9) at 6 months to 8.1 hours (SD: 0.8) at 16 years.
- Sleep duration variance decreased with age, indicating greater consistency in older children.
- Nocturnal sleep consolidated in the first year, with a marked decline in napping between 1.5 and 4 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Percentile curves for sleep duration offer essential insights into developmental changes and variability.
- These curves are valuable tools for healthcare professionals managing pediatric sleep issues.