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Children with developmental dyslexia showed greater sleep disturbances than controls, including problems initiating

M Carotenuto1, M Esposito1, S Cortese2,3,4

  • 1Sleep Clinic for Developmental Age, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 14, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with developmental dyslexia (DD) experience more sleep disturbances than their peers. This study highlights a significant link between dyslexia and sleep issues, suggesting important clinical implications for affected children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Clinical observations suggest a link between learning disabilities and sleep disturbances in children.
  • Limited data exists on the prevalence of sleep issues specifically in children with developmental dyslexia (DD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbances in children diagnosed with developmental dyslexia.
  • To compare sleep disturbance rates in children with DD against a control group of healthy children.

Main Methods:

  • 147 children with DD and 766 controls (aged 10.26 ± 2.63 and 10.49 ± 2.39 years, respectively) were assessed.
  • Sleep disturbances were evaluated using the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children (SDSC), completed by primary caregivers.

Main Results:

  • Children with DD exhibited significantly higher total SDSC scores compared to controls (p < 0.001).
  • Elevated rates were observed in DD group for disorders of initiating/maintaining sleep, sleep breathing disorders, and disorders of arousal (p < 0.001 for all).

Conclusions:

  • Sleep disorders are significantly more common in children with developmental dyslexia than in healthy children.
  • The findings suggest a potential relationship between dyslexia and sleep disorders, with notable clinical implications for diagnosis and management.
Abstract

Keywords:
Developmental dyslexiaDisorders of arousalSleep breathing disordersSleep disordersSleep disturbances scale for children

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