Clinical Implications and Genetic Basis of Sleep Deprivation in Children

Abstract

AbstractSleep is a complex biological and physiological process that allows the body to rest in addition to playing an important role in proper homeostasis in different body systems such as immune, metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, and hormonal. It is important to preserve the quality of sleep, for adequate vitality, since the alterations that occur in any of the phases of sleep have repercussions on several systems of an organism, whether they are short or long term, such as the negative effect of sleep deprivation on the hormonal and metabolic regulation of various pathophysiological processes that will contribute to the development of obesity in pediatric patients. It has been found that sleep-related problems are common in children, being a frequent reason for medical consultations. In addition to the aforementioned, there may also be alterations at the level of the cortex, which is associated with the nonregulation of emotions in preadolescent and adolescent pediatric patients. Finally, sleep could depend on polymorphisms that become risk alleles for having short-term sleep; likewise, there are genes that have a greater expression at the time of rest, which allows a relationship to be made with diseases developed in the face of sleep depletion. This article describes the clinical implications in pediatric patients as a consequence of sleep deprivation and its genetic bases.