Parental concerns about their young children's sleep are among the most frequent behavior problems discussed with pediatricians. In view of this high prevalence, it is important to review the origins of these problems and emerging information about how best to manage them.
Definition
Sleep disorders among children can be classified as dyssomnias, parasomnias, and disruptions secondary to other conditions. The dyssomnias are disturbances in the amount or timing of the sleep. They include intrinsic sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea, interactional sleep disorders such as excessive night waking, and sleep phase disorders, when the time the parents assign for sleep and the child's period of needing it are not synchronous. Parasomnias, on the other hand, are abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep, such as night terrors, nightmares, sleep walking, and sleep talking. Sleep also can be disturbed as the result of various mental and physical conditions, including asthma, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders.
The dyssomnias (sleep refusal and night waking) and parasomnias (night terrors and nightmares) of infancy and early childhood are the most common complaints of parents to pediatricians. Sometimes, however, parents may not seek help for these problems; at other times, they may be concerned by what actually is normal sleep behavior.