Sleep Onset and Night Waking Insomnias in Preschoolers with Psychiatric Disorders

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John R Boekamp1, Lauren R Williamson, Sarah E Martin

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA, jboekamp@lifespan.org.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|October 8, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosable sleep disorders, including Sleep Onset Insomnia (SOI) and Night Waking Insomnia (NWI), are common in young children in psychiatric day treatment. Over 40% of children studied had a sleep disorder, with SOI being particularly prevalent.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychiatry
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Sleep disorders are prevalent in pediatric populations.
  • Early childhood psychiatric settings may have a higher incidence of sleep issues.
  • Understanding sleep disorder prevalence is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of diagnostically defined sleep disorders in young children in a psychiatric day treatment program.
  • To investigate the specific types of sleep disorders, including Sleep Onset Insomnia (SOI) and Night Waking Insomnia (NWI).
  • To compare sleep patterns between children with and without sleep disorders.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 183 children from an early childhood psychiatric day treatment program was assessed.
  • The Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment, a semi-structured interview, was used for diagnosis.
  • Sleep diaries and the Child Behavior Checklist were utilized for data collection.

Main Results:

  • 41% of the children met criteria for a sleep disorder.
  • 23% were diagnosed with Sleep Onset Insomnia (SOI), 4% with Night Waking Insomnia (NWI), and 14% with both.
  • Children with sleep disorders exhibited longer sleep onset latency, more frequent night awakenings, reduced total sleep, and lower sleep efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Diagnosable sleep disorders, especially SOI, are highly prevalent in this acute clinical sample of young children.
  • The prevalence in this psychiatric sample exceeds that found in community or general pediatric settings.
  • These findings highlight the importance of screening for and addressing sleep disorders in early childhood psychiatric care.

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