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Sleep in young children with asthma and their parents
Lisa J Meltzer1, Cara E Pugliese2
11 Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA.
Insights
Young children with poorly controlled asthma experience significant sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep and frequent disruptions. This impacts their parents' sleep as well.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Asthma Research
- Child Health
Background:
- Sleep problems are prevalent in children, particularly those with asthma.
- Limited research exists on sleep patterns in young children (1-4 years) with asthma.
- Parental sleep is often affected by their child's sleep disruptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and compare sleep patterns and issues in young children with and without asthma.
- To investigate the impact of asthma control on sleep quality in young children.
- To examine the relationship between children's sleep problems and parental sleep disruption.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 364 parents of young children (1-4 years) from the general community.
- Parents completed questionnaires assessing their child's and their own sleep patterns and issues.
- Children were categorized based on asthma diagnosis and control status.
Main Results:
- Children with poorly controlled asthma exhibited poorer sleep patterns, increased difficulty initiating sleep, and more frequent sleep disruptions (e.g., restless sleep, apneas, sleep terrors).
- Parents of children with poorly controlled asthma reported significantly disrupted sleep and frequent night awakenings.
- A strong correlation was observed between poorly controlled asthma in children and significant sleep issues for both the child and the parent.
Conclusions:
- Poorly controlled asthma in young children is associated with substantial sleep disturbances for both the child and their parents.
- Clinical attention to sleep issues in young children with poorly controlled asthma is warranted.
- Interventions addressing sleep problems may benefit both children with asthma and their families.
Abstract:
Sleep problems are common in healthy young children, as well as in older children and adolescents with asthma; yet little is known about the sleep patterns and sleep issues of young children with asthma. Further, when young children have sleep disruptions, parental sleep is also typically disrupted. The purpose of this study was to characterize sleep in young children (one to four years) with and without asthma and their parents. Parents of young children ( n = 364) from the general community completed measures of sleep patterns and sleep issues in their children and in themselves. Compared to children with well-controlled asthma or no asthma, children with poorly controlled asthma had poorer sleep patterns, more difficulty falling asleep, and more sleep disruptions (i.e. restless sleep, frequent apneas and gasping during sleep, and frequent sleep terrors). Parents of children with poorly controlled asthma indicated their own sleep was regularly disrupted, and they had frequent night awakenings due to attending to, and stress caused by, their child's health needs. Children with poorly controlled asthma and their parents demonstrated significant sleep issues. Clinical implications for working with young children with asthma and their parents are discussed.
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