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Knowledge of childhood sleep: a possible variable in under or misdiagnosis of childhood sleep problems

Kimberly A Schreck1, Amanda L Richdale

  • 1Penn State University, Harrisburg, PA 17057-4898, USA. kas24@psu.edu

Journal of Sleep Research
|April 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parents often lack knowledge about childhood sleep, especially concerning older children and specific sleep disorders. This gap hinders their ability to discuss sleep issues with healthcare providers.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Parental Health Literacy

Background:

  • Health professionals exhibit limited knowledge of pediatric sleep issues.
  • Parents are crucial in raising sleep concerns during clinical visits.
  • Parental knowledge of childhood sleep remains largely unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess parental knowledge regarding age-specific sleep patterns in children.
  • To evaluate parents' understanding of developmentally normal sleep.
  • To determine factors influencing parents' ability to report sleep problems.

Main Methods:

  • Surveyed 170 parents of children aged 2-17 years.
  • Assessed knowledge of infant, child, and adolescent sleep patterns and problems.
  • Utilized questions focused on developmental sleep and common sleep disorders.

Main Results:

  • Most parents struggled with questions on developmental sleep patterns and problems.
  • Parents demonstrated better knowledge of normal infant sleep and daytime sleep issues.
  • Parents frequently answered 'don't know' for older children, sleep apnea, and dreams/nightmares.

Conclusions:

  • Parental knowledge gaps exist regarding pediatric sleep, particularly for older age groups and specific conditions like sleep apnea.
  • Limited parental understanding may impede early identification and intervention for childhood sleep disorders.
  • Educational interventions are needed to improve parental sleep literacy for better child health outcomes.

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