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Respiration during sleep in children
Insights
A small number of respiratory pauses during sleep are normal for children aged 9-13. This study monitored breathing in children, finding pauses are common across all sleep stages.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Sleep-related breathing patterns in children are not fully understood.
- Previous research has not extensively documented respiratory pauses in healthy pre-adolescent children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of respiratory pauses during sleep in healthy children aged 9 to 13 years.
- To analyze respiratory rate and its regularity across different sleep stages and wakefulness.
- To compare respiratory pause frequency and characteristics between boys and girls.
Main Methods:
- Polysomnography including electroencephalography, electrooculography, and electromyography was used to record sleep.
- Respiration was monitored using nasal thermistors and strain gauges.
- Respiratory pauses (≥5 seconds) and respiratory rate were analyzed across sleep stages and during wakefulness.
Main Results:
- All children experienced respiratory pauses during sleep, averaging 17.2 in boys and 18.0 in girls per night.
- Respiratory rate varied significantly with sleep stage and wakefulness, being highest during wakefulness and stage 1 sleep.
- More respiratory pauses occurred during stage 1 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep compared to deeper sleep stages (2, 3, 4).
- Respiratory rate variance was significantly lower in girls than in boys.
Conclusions:
- A limited number of respiratory pauses during sleep are considered normal in healthy children aged 9-13.
- Sleep stage significantly influences respiratory patterns, with increased pauses in lighter sleep stages.
- Sex differences may exist in respiratory rate variability during sleep in this age group.
Abstract:
In 22 children (11 boys and 11 girls), aged 9 to 13 years, respiration was monitored during one night of sleep. No child had a significant history of breathing problems during sleep. Sleep was recorded using standard techniques (electroencephalography, electrooculography, electromyography), and respiration was measured with nasal thermistors and abdominal or thoracic strain gauges. Respiratory pauses (five seconds or longer) were determined for all sleep stages. Respiratory rate was scored only in the first and last sleep cycles and during ten waking minutes before sleep onset. Respiratory rate was significantly affected by wakefulness or stage of sleep: highest in wakefulness and stage 1, lowest in stage 2 of the last sleep cycle. Regularity of respiratory rate showed a similar effect. Variance of respiratory rate was significantly lower in girls than boys. Respiratory pauses during sleep were seen in every child, ranging from 3 to 40 pauses per night (average, 17.2 for boys and 18.0 for girls). Significantly greater numbers of pauses per minute were seen in stage 1 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep than in stages 2, 3 and 4. The longest respiratory pause was 25 seconds. The conclusion is made that a small number of respiratory pauses during sleep are normal in children of this age.