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Updated: May 15, 2026
08:20
Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
Normal polysomnography parameters in healthy children: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Annelies Van Eyck1,2,3, Genevieve de Caen4,5,6,3, Julia Bokhaut7
1Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics and Member of the Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium annelies.vaneyck@uantwerpen.be.
Summary
This study establishes normative polysomnography values for children, crucial for diagnosing sleep disorders. These findings provide essential reference data for pediatric sleep research and clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Lack of established normative values for polysomnography parameters in children.
- Need for age- and sex-adjusted reference data for accurate pediatric sleep assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of pediatric polysomnography parameters.
- To establish normative values using recent scoring criteria, adjusted for age and sex.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of Web of Science and Scopus for studies on healthy children.
- Inclusion of studies using American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria (2007/2012).
- Random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression to assess age and sex influences.
Main Results:
- Pooled estimates for 34 polysomnography parameters from 66 studies (2947 children).
- Identified age-related decreases in total sleep time, REM sleep, and arousal indices.
- Observed age-related increases in awakenings and oxygen saturation nadir; sleep latency influenced by sex.
Conclusions:
- Provides normative polysomnographic data for the pediatric population.
- Establishes crucial control values for clinical diagnosis and research.
- Facilitates more accurate interpretation of sleep studies in children.
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