Sleep habits of children and the identification of pathologically sleepy children

Sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness have been investigated only minimally in children. The sleep habits of 218 children, ages 10-13 years, were surveyed by a sleep habits questionnaire (SHQ). Our results demonstrate that total night time sleep on school nights begins to fall in early adolescence, whereas it remains relatively stable on non-school nights. Daytime sleepiness is not a common problem in this age group, in contrast to a college age population. We conclude that in adolescence chronic sleep deficits begin to occur which cumulatively affect later functioning. The potential use of the SHQ for depicting pathological sleepiness is also discussed.