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Sleep problems and daytime tiredness in Finnish preschool-aged children-a community survey

P Simola1, M Niskakangas, K Liukkonen

  • 1Clinic for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. petteri.simola@hus.fi

Child: Care, Health and Development
|July 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Many preschool children experience sleep problems, with nearly half having issues like difficulty sleeping or night sweats. Poor sleep quality is linked to daytime tiredness, highlighting the need to assess sleep quality in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Development and Well-being

Background:

  • Sleep is crucial for children's health and development, particularly for preschoolers.
  • Inadequate sleep significantly impacts young children, yet comprehensive data on sleep problems and daytime fatigue is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of various sleep disturbances and daytime tiredness in 3- to 6-year-old Finnish children.
  • To investigate the associations between different sleep problems and daytime tiredness in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based survey involving 904 parents of children aged 3–6 years in Helsinki.
  • Utilized the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) to gather data on sleep issues.

Main Results:

  • 45% of children reported at least one sleep problem occurring thrice weekly.
  • Common issues included unwillingness to go to bed (14.1%), sleep onset difficulties (10.2%), bruxism (10.2%), and sleep-related breathing issues (8.2%).
  • Difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep were strongly correlated with morning and daytime tiredness.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep problems are common among preschool-aged children.
  • Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with morning and daytime fatigue.
  • Screening for sleep issues in children should encompass both sleep duration and quality.
Abstract

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