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Sleep actigraphy evidence of improved sleep after treatment of allergic rhinitis
Hasan Yuksel1, Ayhan Sogut, Hikmet Yilmaz
1Department of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey. hyukselefe@hotmail.com
Insights
Children with allergic rhinitis (AR) experience poor sleep. Actigraphy objectively measures sleep problems linked to AR symptoms, improving after treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Sleep Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) in children often leads to nasal obstruction, causing disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue.
- Understanding the impact of AR on pediatric sleep quality is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively evaluate sleep impairment in children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis using actigraphy.
- To assess the correlation between AR symptom severity and sleep quality metrics.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 14 children (7-16 years) with seasonal AR and 14 healthy controls.
- Utilized actigraphy, Total 4-Symptom Score (T4SS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before and after 8 weeks of treatment.
- Compared AR group's sleep data with controls.
Main Results:
- Pre-treatment, children with AR showed significantly worse sleep quality (PSQI) and actigraphy scores compared to controls.
- Following treatment, sleep quality improved, with no significant differences between groups.
- AR symptom scores (T4SS) strongly correlated with actigraphy findings (sleep efficiency, napping) and PSQI scores.
Conclusions:
- Sleep quality is demonstrably compromised in children suffering from allergic rhinitis.
- Actigraphy serves as a valuable objective tool for quantifying sleep disturbances in pediatric AR.
- Treatment of AR significantly improves sleep parameters, highlighting the link between nasal symptoms and sleep.
Background:
Children with allergic rhinitis (AR) are reported to have disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue due to nasal obstruction.
Objective:
To evaluate sleep impairment in children with AR using actigraphic evaluation.
Methods:
Fourteen children aged 7 to 16 years with grass pollen-sensitized seasonal AR were enrolled. They completed the Total 4-Symptom Score (T4SS) scoring system for AR symptom score and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire for sleep quality, and they underwent actigraphy for 3 days in the pretreatment period. After topical corticosteroid and antihistaminic treatment for 8 weeks, actigraphy, the T4SS, and the PSQI were repeated. Fourteen healthy children aged 8 to 16 years underwent actigraphy and completed the PSQI questionnaire as controls.
Results:
There were no significant age or sex differences between the AR and control groups. Pretreatment PSQI and actigraphy scores were worse in the AR group vs the control group. After treatment, sleep quality improved, and there were no differences in actigraphy and PSQI scores between the 2 groups. Before treatment, the T4SS was significantly correlated with the sleep efficiency, daytime napping episodes, and total nap duration variables of actigraphy (r = -0.53, P = .004; r = 0.43, P = .02; and r = 0.39, P = .04, respectively). The T4SS was correlated with the total PSQI score (r = 0.67, P < .001).
Conclusions:
Sleep can be compromised in children with AR. There is a significant correlation of clinical symptom score with the actigraphic and PSQI variables. Therefore, actigraphy may be used as an objective tool to evaluate sleep disturbance in children with AR.
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