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Sleep and sleepiness in children and adolescents
Insights
This review examines sleep-wake organization development from infancy to adolescence. Further research is needed on the links between sleep, waking behaviors, and disorders like narcolepsy.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Sleep-wake state organization undergoes significant changes from infancy through adolescence.
- Understanding these developmental changes is crucial for clinical practice.
- Current research has not fully explored the intricate relationship between sleep and waking behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of sleep-wake state organization during ontogeny.
- To identify potential disruptions in sleep patterns throughout development.
- To highlight areas requiring further investigation in sleep research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on sleep-wake ontogeny.
- Analysis of studies examining sleep disruptions in pediatric and adolescent populations.
- Synthesis of findings related to physiological functioning during sleep.
Main Results:
- Sleep-wake organization follows a predictable developmental trajectory.
- Various factors can disrupt this trajectory, impacting overall health.
- Significant gaps exist in understanding the interplay between sleep and behavior.
Conclusions:
- Further research is essential to elucidate the complex relationship between waking behaviors and sleep.
- Clinical attention to sleep physiology is increasingly important for pediatric and adolescent health.
- Specific areas for future study include daytime sleepiness, hyperactivity, and comorbid sleep disturbances in psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Abstract:
We have attempted to review the current "state of the art" regarding the ontogenetic course of sleep-wake state organization and possible disruptions in this course from infancy through adolescence. It is becoming increasingly important for clinicians to learn about physiologic functioning during sleep. Much more research is required, directed at the relationship between waking behaviors and sleeping behaviors. Investigations of daytime sleepiness in adolescence, of the relationship of hyperactivity to excessive sleepiness, of the relationship between disorders such as depression and anorexia nervosa with disturbed sleep state organization, and of primary sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and the sleep apnea syndrome only scratch the surface in terms of the future work that needs to be done.