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Sleep disturbances in a community sample from preschool to school age

P Simola1, E Laitalainen, K Liukkonen

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

Child: Care, Health and Development
|July 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Sleep problems are common in school-aged children and often persist from preschool years. Recognizing and addressing persistent childhood sleep issues is crucial for overall health and development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Childhood sleep disturbances are prevalent.
  • Understanding the persistence of sleep problems from preschool to school age is vital for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of sleep problems in Finnish school-aged children.
  • To assess the persistence of sleep problems from preschool to school age over a 4-year follow-up period.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study involving 481 children in a Finnish community sample.
  • Parents completed the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaire at preschool (3-6 years) and school age (7-11 years).
  • Follow-up included questionnaires on family structure and socio-economic status.

Main Results:

  • Sleep problems slightly decreased at the population level from preschool to school age.
  • A significant persistence of sleep disorders was observed: 35% of preschool sleep disorder cases continued into school age (9% of the community sample).
  • Children without preschool sleep problems rarely developed them later.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep problems are common and persistent in children from preschool to school age.
  • Persistent sleep problems require clinical attention due to potential links with somatic, cognitive, and psychiatric issues.
  • Paediatric healthcare should focus on identifying and intervening in prolonged childhood sleep problems.
Abstract

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