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Published on: September 22, 2020
Pediatric sleep-wake disorders
1The Center for Sleep Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. kotagal.suresh@mayo.edu
Insights
Sleep problems in children and adolescents can stem from various causes, impacting behavior and learning. Recognizing these diverse pediatric sleep disorders is crucial for effective management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Sleep-wake problems are prevalent in children and adolescents.
- These issues can significantly affect behavior, cognition, and learning.
- Diverse underlying causes contribute to these sleep disturbances.
Observation:
- Common conditions include obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.
- Sleep architecture changes with age and maturation.
- Pediatric sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment may differ from adult approaches.
Findings:
- Specific sleep disorders encountered in youth are varied.
- Age-related changes influence sleep patterns.
- Diagnostic criteria and laboratory findings can differ between pediatric and adult sleep disorders.
Implications:
- Early identification and management of pediatric sleep disorders are essential.
- Understanding age-specific sleep characteristics is vital for accurate diagnosis.
- Further research into pediatric sleep disorder treatments, including off-label pharmacologic use, is warranted.
Abstract:
Sleep-wake problems are common during childhood and adolescence. They are of diverse cause, and can contribute significantly to alterations in behavior, cognition, and learning. Obstructive sleep apnea, central hypoventilation syndrome, narcolepsy, periodic hypersomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome, restless legs syndrome, parasomnias, and sleep disruption consequent to psychiatric disorders are some of the commonly encountered conditions. Some aspects of sleep architecture and its organization change with age and maturation. Diagnostic criteria and sleep laboratory techniques and findings for some childhood sleep disorders differ from those of adults. Most pharmacologic agents used to treat pediatric sleep disorders are off-label.
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