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Sleep disturbances in 5-year-old children: insufficient sleep, insomnia symptoms and associated factors

Noora Siltari1, Tiina E Mäkelä2, Ilona Merikanto3

  • 1Pediatric Research Center, Child Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Sleep Medicine
|July 14, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Many 5-year-olds experience sleep problems, with nearly half having issues like insomnia. Daytime sleep and parental factors significantly impact sleep onset difficulties in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Sleep problems affect up to 50% of preschool children.
  • Limited recent data exists on sleep disturbances in 5-year-olds, especially in Northern Europe.
  • This study investigates sleep patterns and insomnia symptoms in Finnish 5-year-olds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine common sleep disturbances in 5-year-old children in Finland.
  • To identify factors associated with insomnia symptoms in this age group.
  • To provide insights for improving pediatric sleep health.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 714 five-year-old children from the CHILD-SLEEP birth cohort.
  • Parent-reported questionnaires assessed sleep duration, habits, and disturbances (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children - SDSC).
  • Logistic regression analyzed factors associated with insomnia symptoms (SDSC Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep sum ≥90th percentile).

Main Results:

  • 43% of children experienced at least one sleep problem three or more times weekly.
  • 18% had insomnia symptoms, with sleep onset difficulties being most prevalent.
  • Regular naps were strongly associated with insomnia symptoms (OR 2.75).

Conclusions:

  • Insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration are significant concerns for 5-year-olds.
  • Daytime sleep patterns and factors influencing independent sleep require attention.
  • Further research and interventions targeting pediatric sleep disturbances are warranted.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildCircadian rhythmInsomniaNapsPediatricsSleepSleep duration

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