Sleep In Children Research Articles

When they just don't sleep: differential impacts of reduced child sleep on depression, anxiety, and stress among caregivers of children with and without neurogenetic syndromes.

Children with neurogenetic syndromes commonly experience significant and pervasive sleep disturbances, however, associations with caregiver mental health remains unclear. Previous studies have linked sleep disturbances with increased caregiver depression in typically developing populations, and heightened caregiver stress among neurogenetic populations. The present study expands on findings by exploring the longitudinal association between child sleep duration and caregiver mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) throughout development (infancy to school-aged children) in dyads with and without a child affected by a neurogenetic syndrome. Participants were drawn from the Purdue Early Phenotype Study, including 193 caregivers (Age: M = 34.40 years, SD = 4.53) of children with neurogenetic syndromes (Age: M = 40.91 months, SD =20.72) and typically developing children (n = 55; Age: M = 36.71 months, SD = 20.68). Children in the neurogenetic group were diagnosed with Angelman (n = 49), Prader Willi (n = 30), Williams (n = 51), and Fragile X (n = 8) syndromes. Caregivers completed assessments every six months up to child age three, and annual assessments thereafter. Child sleep duration was measured using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire, and caregiver internalizing symptoms were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Multilevel models were conducted to examine caregiver depression, anxiety, and stress in relation to child sleep duration at both between- and within-person levels, with child age as a moderator. Results indicated a between-person effect of child sleep duration on caregiver depression (i.e., differences between families) and a within-person effect on caregiver stress (i.e., change over time) in the full, combined sample. These effects were not maintained when examined separately in neurogenetic and typically developing groups, except for a between-person effect on caregiver stress in the typically developing cohort. Moderating effects of child age were significant for depression and stress only in the typically developing cohort. In summary, persistent child sleep disruptions were linked to exacerbated caregiver depression across the sample, while acute child sleep disruptions exacerbate caregiver stress within dyads over time. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing child sleep to enhance caregiverwellbeing and has potential relevance for a wide range of neurogenetic syndromes.

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on children´s sleep quality, physical activity, screen time, and diet.

Background: this study aimed to assess how the COVID-19 lockdown (March to June 2020) affected children's sleep quality, physical activity, screen time, and nutrition. Material and methods: the survey consisted of 479 children from the SENDO project, a pediatric cohort in Spain, aged 4-5 years. The BEAR questionnaire was used to evaluate sleep quality. Hierarchical models with two-level clustering were used to account for intra-cluster correlation between siblings, and the difference regression method was used to study the association between changes in screen consumption and physical activity and changes in sleep quality. Results: the results showed an increase in the consumption of homemade pastries and snacks. Sleep quality worsened significantly during confinement, with a mean score on the BEAR scale of 0.52 before, 1.43 during, and 1.07 after confinement. Although sleep quality improved significantly after the end of confinement, it remained worse than before. The average daily screen time increased from 1.13 hours before confinement to 2.65 hours during confinement. Physical activity decreased during confinement, with the mean number of hours per day decreasing from 1.27 to 0.79. Children who spent more time on screens during confinement had worse sleep quality, as indicated by their higher scores on the BEAR scale. We used the difference regression method to identify a statistically significant association between the increased screen time for leisure hours and the worsening of children's sleep quality during confinement. Conclusion: we observed a significant relationship between confinement and reduced sleep quality. Although the end of the lockdown led to a slight improvement, the average BEAR scale score remained higher post-confinement, suggesting that the consequences of the lockdown may persist over time.

Longitudinal study of childhood sleep trajectories and adolescent mental health problems.

To investigate whether childhood sleep trajectories are associated with mental health symptoms such as social phobia, generalized anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct problems, and opposition at age 15. A total of 2120 children took part in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Childhood sleep trajectories were computed from maternal reports at 2.5, 3.5, 4, 6, 8, 10, and/or 12 years. At age 15, 1446 adolescents filled out mental health and sleep questions. A path analysis model was assessed in the full sample. Four childhood nocturnal sleep duration trajectories were identified: (1) a short pattern (7.5%), (2) a short-increasing pattern (5.8%), (3) a 10 hours pattern (50.7%), and (4) an 11 hours pattern (36.0%). Three childhood sleep latency trajectories were found: (1) a short pattern (31.7%), (2) an intermediate pattern (59.9%), and (3) a long pattern (8.4%). Finally, two childhood wakefulness after sleep-onset trajectories were found: (1) a normative pattern (73.0%) and (2) a long pattern (27.0%). The path analysis model indicated that children following a long childhood sleep latency trajectory were more likely to experience symptoms of depression (β = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.12), ADHD (β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.13), conduct problems (β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.10) and opposition (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.13) at age 15. This longitudinal study revealed that children presenting a long sleep latency throughout childhood are at greater risk of symptoms of depression, ADHD, conduct problems, and opposition in adolescence.

An investigation of computer-game addiction, physical activity level, quality of life and sleep of children with a sibling with a chronic condition.

It is known that chronic condition also affects siblings without chronic illness. Healthy siblings of children with a chronic condition and aged 9-14 years and healthy children with a sibling without chronic illness and their parents were included in the study. The aim of our study was to examine the internet-game addiction, physical activity, quality of life and sleep in children with a sibling with chronic condition and compare them with their peers with a healthy sibling. Computer game addiction, physical activity, sleep quality and quality of life were evaluated respectively by Computer Game Addiction Scale for Children, Child Physical Activity Questionnaire, Children's Sleep Disorder Scale and Children's Quality of Life Scale. While the mean age of 75 children with chronically ill siblings was 10.65 ± 1.59 years, the mean age of 75 healthy children with healthy siblings was 10.46 ± 2.09 years. It was observed that children with a sibling with a chronic condition were more tend to computer-game addiction, had lower sleep quality, lower quality of life in terms of school functionality and psychosocial health compared to children with a healthy sibling (p < 0.05). It was revealed that in families with children with a chronic condition, siblings with no health problems should also be evaluated in psychosocial terms and supported by appropriate approaches, such as to increase the level of physical activity.

Effectiveness of Art Therapy and Physical Activity in Improving Quality of Sleep in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Quasi-experimental Pilot Study

Introduction: Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) is characterised by abnormalities in movement and posture, along with sensory and tone abnormalities. It also represents significant impairments in cognition and sleep quality. Art activity involves playfulness, creativity, improvisation, and brings benefits to cognition and the alleviation of mental suffering. Physical activity shows considerable improvement in sleep quality as it concentrates on cardiorespiratory fitness and increases total energy expenditure. Aim: To evaluate the effect of art therapy and physical activity on sleep quality in children with hemiplegic CP. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental pilot study was performed among six ambulant children with hemiplegic CP in December 2022 at MGM School of Physiotherapy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. Both male and female children aged between 4 to 12 years were included in the study. Pretest scores were recorded using the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ). The participants then underwent a physiotherapy protocol lasting one hour, which included art therapy along with upper limb physical activities for four weeks. Art therapy included colouring pictures, drawing geometrical shapes, line-drawing connections, thumbprints, and vegetable prints. The protocol was given for one month, which included three sessions of art therapy and physical activity each week. Parents and children were encouraged to follow the protocol before sleep. At the end of one month, postscoring of all outcome measures was calculated, and statistical analysis was done using the paired t-test. Results: From the results, the median pretest and post-test PSQ scores were 0.68 and 0.49, respectively. Interquartile Range (IQR) value for the outcome measure was 0.0675 and 0.0775, which was significant. Conclusion: Art therapy, along with physical activity, improved sleep quality in children with hemiplegic CP.

Magnitude and clinical characteristics of cerebral palsy among children in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood which causes a child's behavioral, feeding, and sleep difficulties. It remains a poorly studied health problem in Africa. The main aim of this study was assessing the pooled prevalence of Cerebral Palsy (CP) and its clinical characteristics in Africa context. Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to search articles from electronic databases (Cochrane library, Ovid platform) (Medline, Embase, and Emcare), Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed, Maternity and Infant Care Database (MIDIRS). The last search date was on 12/05/ 2023 G. C. A weighted inverse variance random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled estimates of cerebral palsy and its types. The subgroup analysis, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were done. Studies on prevalence and clinical characteristics of cerebral palsy were included. The primary and secondary outcomes were prevalence and clinical characteristics of cerebral palsy respectively. A total of 15 articles with (n = 498406 patients) were included for the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of cerebral palsy in Africa was found to be 3·34 (2·70, 3·98). The most common type is spastic cerebral palsy accounting 69·30% (66·76, 71·83) of all cases. The second one is quadriplegic cerebral palsy which was found to be 41·49% (33·16, 49·81). Ataxic cerebral palsy accounted 5·36% (3·22, 7·50). On the other hand, dyskinetic cerebral palsy was found to be 10.88% (6·26, 15·49). About 32·10% (19·25, 44.95) of cases were bilateral while 25·17% (16·84, 33·50) were unilateral. The incidence of cerebral palsy in Africa surpasses the reported rates in developed nations. Spastic and quadriplegic subtypes emerge as the most frequently observed. It is recommended to channel initiatives toward the strategic focus on preventive measures, early detection strategies, and comprehensive management protocols.

Parental role-modeling on 24-hour movement behaviors among preschoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Little is known about the association between parents' and children's 24-h movement behaviors during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study examined the association between the 24-h movement behaviors of parents and their preschoolers and investigated sex differences in this association. A total of 1740 preschoolers (4.5 ± 0.8 years old, 50.3% boys) and their parents (35.4 ± 4.9 years old, 24.3% males) in China participated in this study and provided valid and complete data. Parents completed an online survey or a written questionnaire in the period between October and December 2020. Preschoolers' and parents' movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior [SB], screen time, and sleep) and demographic information were reported by the parents. Generalized linear models and logistic regression models were performed. Positive associations were found between parents' and preschoolers' moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (β = 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20, 0.36), total PA (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.24), and sleep (β = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.06) with no apparent sex difference. No significant association was found between parents' and preschoolers' SB or screen time. Girls were more likely to meet all three 24-h movement guidelines when their parents met them (odds ratio = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.42, 4.01), but the relationship was not significant for boys. Parental role-modeling was positively associated with children's PA and sleep. This finding suggests that supporting parents' movement behaviors has the potential to promote a healthy lifestyle among preschoolers.

The Effect of Melatonin on Sleep Disorders in Children with Cerebral Palsy A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common causes of serious physical disability in childhood and is a persistent movement disorder before the age of three. This disorder can negatively affect both the child and their family. In recent years, the use of melatonin as a safe, effective, and cheap drug has been expanding in improving the sleep disorders of these children. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate melatonin's effect on sleep disorders in children with CP. This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on children aged 2 to 12 years with CP who were referred to the pediatric neurology clinic for sleep problems. The participants were included in the study by convenience sampling. After obtaining informed consent from parents, patients were divided randomly into two intervention (melatonin) and control (placebo) groups. In the intervention group, patients received oral melatonin tablets, and in the control group, patients received a placebo (3 mg oral lactose) 30 minutes before going to sleep. The results of this study showed no significant relationship between age and gender with sleep disorders in children with CP (P>0.05). A significant effect of melatonin on sleep disorders was found in children with CP. The greatest effect of melatonin is the time required to start falling asleep. Melatonin was associated with decreased time needed to fall asleep and increased sleep duration. The results of the study demonstrated that sleep disorders are prevalent among children with CP. Therefore, proper and timely treatment of these children is crucial. According to the present study's findings, melatonin effectively improves the time of falling asleep and these children's sleep duration.

While the Child Sleeps: the Repertoire of "Non-maternal" Practices of Russian Mothers

While the Child Sleeps: the Repertoire of "Non-maternal" Practices of Russian Mothers

Efeitos tardios do uso de cafeína no sono de crianças nascidas prematuras

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether the therapeutic use of caffeine for premature newborns is associated with changes in sleep habits and the presence of obstructive sleep apnea in childhood. Methods: This is a cross-sectional single-center study in which the caretakers of 87 children aged 5–10 years, born full-term or preterm, treated or not with caffeine in the neonatal period, answered questionnaires to screen for obstructive sleep apnea (Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Screening Tool [PosaST]) and to characterize the sleep habits (Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire [CSHQ]) of their children. ANOVA and linear regression tests were performed to verify possible differences between the groups. Results: Children born prematurely who were treated with caffeine woke up significantly later on weekdays than those born at term (09h±00h58 and 07h43±1h15, respectively, p=0.022) and had longer total daily sleep time also compared to those born at term (10h24±1h08 and 09h29±1h08, respectively, p&lt;0.001). There was no significant difference between the three groups in overall PosaST and CSHQ scores. Conclusions: Caffeine use in the neonatal period did not impair sleep habits later in life and did not lead to increased obstructive sleep apnea scores in prematurely born children compared to those born at term.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema-Based Parenting and Mindful Parenting on Sleep Problems, Aggression, and Improvement of Social Interactions in Children with Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on sleep problems, aggression, and improvement of social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Methods and Materials: The present study is applied in terms of its aim and quasi-experimental in terms of method, using a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up period. The statistical population includes all children aged 7-12 years with mild autism spectrum disorder who were studying and receiving education in one autism center under the supervision of the Ministry of Education (Tabassum) and five autism centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization (Ava, Armaghan Noor, Kavosh, Navid-e-Zendegi, and Takapo) in Mashhad. The groupings were conducted through random assignment. Out of these, 40 children (20 boys and 20 girls) and 40 mothers were selected as the research sample using purposive sampling. They were then randomly assigned to three groups: two experimental groups (each with 13 members) and one control group (with 14 members). Data collection was conducted using the Autism Social Skills Profile by Belini and Hopf (2007), the CARS questionnaire by Schopler (1988), the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire by Owens, Spirito, and colleagues (2000). After collecting the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using SPSS-20 software. Findings: The results indicated differences in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on aggression in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, there were differences in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on the improvement of social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, differences were observed in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on sleep problems in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that both schema-based and mindful parenting interventions significantly reduce aggression and sleep problems while enhancing social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. These findings suggest the effectiveness of incorporating these approaches in parenting programs to improve behavioral and emotional outcomes in children.

Sleep habits and orofacial myofunctional self-assessment of children at risk for sleep breathing disorders.

To identify orofacial myofunctional complaints and sleep-disordered breathing and correlate them with sleep habits in childhood. The study included 71 parents/guardians of public school children aged 6 to 11 years. They answered a form with semi-structured medical history questions and the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening - interview, the Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Screening Tool Questionnaire, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire - all of them in their Portuguese/Brazilian versions in an online format. Statistical analyses used Spearman's correlation, setting the significance level at 5%. There were 29 female children (40.8%) and 42 male ones (59.2%), with a mean age of 8.52 years. The study found orofacial myofunctional complaints related to breathing functions (35.2%), chewing and swallowing (32.4%), and deleterious habits (33.8%). All children were at a low risk of sleep-disordered breathing. As for sleep habits, 23 children (32.39%) had a lower total score, whereas 48 children (67.61%) exceeded 41 points. There was a correlation between the risk of sleep-disordered breathing in children with complaints of orofacial myofunctional disorders and poor sleep quality/habits.

Sleeping soundly? Testing the links between sleep quality and neurodevelopmental characteristics

Sleep plays a major role in child development and sleep problems have been implicated in several neurodevelopmental conditions. However, its exact role in these conditions remains unknown. Co-occurrence is a core challenge of the existing diagnostic framework, with many advocating for a transdiagnostic approach to studying neurodevelopment. In this exploratory investigation, we look at a transdiagnostic sample of 299 children to (1) identify and compare data-driven sleep profiles and explore their links to behaviour, cognition and learning and (2) use a network approach to simultaneously characterise the relationship between sleep and symptoms of behaviour, communication and mental health. Cluster analysis identified two sleep profiles – regular sleepers and poor sleepers. Between-group comparisons showed that poor sleepers disproportionately experienced poorer emotion regulation, peer relationships and structural language. The network analysis suggested that after statistically accounting for the overlap between symptoms of behaviour, communication and mental health, sleep remained directly linked to multiple symptoms, with a particularly strong relationship with emotion regulation. These findings advance our knowledge of the role of sleep in neurodevelopmental conditions, highlighting its importance as a transdiagnostic process and priority in neurodevelopmental research. Lay abstract Sleep quality and quantity are essential in children’s development. Children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions tend to present more sleep problems. However, the exact interaction between sleep and these conditions is still under discussion. Here, novel statistical approaches were used to explore the relationship between sleep and aspects of children’s behaviour, communication, and mental health. These methods identified two groups of children based on their sleep quality: poor sleepers and regular sleepers. The two groups were compared across a broad set of measures including neurodevelopmental difficulties, learning outcomes and mental health. The regular sleepers performed better than those with sleep problems on all measures, with poor sleepers presenting crucial difficulties in emotion regulation, peer relationships and structural language. Using network models, an explorative global analysis of all the participants together reiterated the influence of structural language on other behaviours and uncovered a strong connection between sleep and emotion regulation. Overall, this study improves our knowledge of the role of sleep in conditions affecting brain development and its relationship with behaviour, communication and mental health.

School start times and their association with rurality in British Columbia, Canada: An environmental scan.

Since later school start times are associated with increased sleep duration, our objectives were to identify mean school start times, the proportion of schools that start at 08:30 am or later, and determine if rurality was associated with school start times. We conducted web searches for start times of 1759 standard schools in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Schools were categorized as elementary, elementary-middle, middle, middle-high, or high school and linked to an Index of Remoteness. We calculated descriptive statistics and used Analysis of Variance to assess for start time differences by grade category. We used Spearman's rank-order correlation to assess if there was a relationship between start time and rurality. We found start times for 1553 (88.2%) of the included schools. The mean start time was 08:40 am (SD = 0:15) and ranged from 07:10 am to 09:45 am. There was a significant effect of grade category on start time, F (5, 1600) = 6.03, p < .001, η 2 =.02, 95% CI [.006, .031] such that elementary-middle schools started significantly earlier (M = 08:34 am, SD = 0:17) than other grade categories. Overall, 1388 (86.4%) schools started at 08:30 am or later. Rurality was significantly correlated with school start time (r = -.198), such that more rural schools started earlier. For the most part, school start times in BC meet recommendations that support childhood and adolescent sleep. Future research is needed to understand factors that promote the successful implementation of delayed school start times.

Moderation by better sleep of the association among childhood maltreatment, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms in the adult volunteers: A moderated mediation model.

Previously, we demonstrated that childhood maltreatment could worsen depressive symptoms through neuroticism. On the one hand, some studies report that sleep disturbances are related to childhood maltreatment and neuroticism and worsens depressive symptoms. But, to our knowledge, no reports to date have shown the interrelatedness between childhood maltreatment, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance in the one model. We hypothesized that sleep disturbance enhances the influence of maltreatment victimization in childhood or neuroticism on adulthood depressive symptoms and the mediation influence of neuroticism between maltreatment victimization in childhood and adulthood depressive symptoms. Total 584 Japanese volunteer adults recruited through convenience sampling from 4/2017 to 4/2018 were assessed regarding their characteristics of demographics, history of childhood maltreatment, sleep disturbance, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms with questionnaires self-administered. Survey data were analyzed using simple moderation models and a moderating mediation model. The interaction of sleep disturbance with childhood maltreatment or neuroticism on depressive symptoms was significantly positive. Furthermore, the moderating effect of sleep disturbance on the indirect effect of childhood maltreatment to depressive symptoms through neuroticism was significantly positive. Because this was a cross-sectional study, a causal relationship could not be confirmed. Our findings indicate that individuals with milder sleep disturbance experience fewer depressive symptoms attributable to neuroticism and childhood maltreatment. Additionally, people with less sleep disturbance have fewer depressive symptoms arising from neuroticism owing to childhood maltreatment. Therefore, improvement of sleep disturbance will buffer the aggravating effect of childhood maltreatment, neuroticism caused by various factors, and neuroticism resulting from childhood maltreatment on depressive symptoms.

The influence of infant sleep problems and sleep training on maternal subjective well-being.

Disturbed sleep during infancy and early childhood can have a detrimental effect on parental sleep and consequently parental well-being. However, there is a paucity of research on how perceived child sleep problems and behavioural sleep interventions as treatment influence maternal subjective well-being. This study aimed to explore the incidence of subjective well-being in mothers of children with sleep problems and whether implementing two behavioural sleep interventions changed their well-being. The research was conducted in a community setting, with parents voluntarily approaching a sleep consultancy based in South Africa. Using data from 119 mothers voluntarily approaching a sleep consultancy in South Africa, a pre-test-post-test design was employed to investigate changes in life satisfaction, affect, couple satisfaction, perceived stress and depression approximately 3 weeks after implementation of a sleep intervention. Results indicate that mothers of children with sleep problems experienced moderate to high life satisfaction and positive affect although the presence of moderate negative affect, couple satisfaction and stress and mild depression suggest possible decreased subjective well-being. Findings suggest implementation of graduated extinction and extinction with parental presence sleep interventions may improve life satisfaction, affect, stress and depression but not couple satisfaction in the short-term. This study contributes towards understanding the effect of sleep loss on the subjective well-being of mothers and provides preliminary evidence regarding the benefits of two sleep interventions for improving maternal subjective well-being.

Child, family and household characteristics associated with physical activity in Samoan children aged 3-8 years: A cross-sectional study.

Physical activity is a key component of many obesity prevention strategies. The aim of this analysis was to identify child, family, and household characteristics associated with parent-reported physical activity in Samoan children aged 3-8 years. Children (n = 445; 51.2% female, mean age 5.4 years) were part of an ongoing, mixed-longitudinal study of child growth, development, and wellbeing (the Ola Tuputupua'e cohort). Bivariate analyses and multivariate generalized linear regressions were conducted to investigate the relationship of child, family, and household characteristics with physical activity level, measured using the Netherlands Physical Activity Questionnaire (NPAQ). Children were classified as being 'highly active' if they had NPAQ scores in the 75th percentile or above. Among the n = 111 children classified as 'highly active', n = 67 (60.4%) were boys. After adjusting for child, family, and household-level characteristics, hours of child sleep per night was the only variable significantly associated with odds of being highly active. Compared to children who slept less than 9 hours at night, those who slept 10-10.99 hours (OR: 5.97, 95% CI: 2.14-18.13) and 11+ hours (OR: 25.75, 95% CI: 8.14-90.12) had higher odds of being 'highly active'. Future research should examine the mechanisms driving the relationship between nighttime sleep and physical activity among Samoan children. Intervening on sleep duration and quality may improve physical activity and, in turn, obesity risk in this setting.

Sleep, Behavioral, and Cognitive Complaints in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Public Health Challenge

Abstract Background: Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a genetic and neurodevelopmental condition impacting the peripheral nervous system. Predominant clinical features include "café au lait" spots, neurofibromas, and cognitive challenges. While some clinical reports suggest a link between NF1 and alterations in sleep, there is a lack of studies exploring this connection specifically in children. This becomes crucial, given that sleep significantly influences a child's neurobehavioral, neurocognitive, and psychosocial development. Objective: To describe sleep, cognitive, and behavioral complaints in Brazilian children diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 1. Methods: Parents of children within the age range from 1 to 12 years old answered an online questionnaire composed of 24 questions related to sleep habits, sleep patterns, and cognitive and behavioral complaints. Results: Data was collected from 41 children, who were categorized between preschoolers (32%) and school-aged (68%). 63% of the entire sample reported sleep complaints. 66% of the children slept less than 10 hours a day, 26% of them being preschoolers and 74% school-aged. 85% of the children used electronics devices at night, and more than half (54%) of the sample had more than 2 hours of daily screen time. 66% of the children had a late bedtime. Easy crying (31%) was the most reported behavioral complaint in preschoolers, and anxiety (32%) was more prevalent in school-aged children. Alterations in attention and focus (44%) was the most frequent cognitive issue in the entire sample. Conclusion: This is the first study carried out in Brazil that assesses sleep, behavioral and cognitive complaints, and sleep patterns in children with NF1. It was reported that children with NF1 have significant sleep complaints and insufficient sleep duration. Additionally, behavioral, and cognitive complaints were widely reported. We reinforce the relevance of sleep assessment during routine clinical examination of patients with NF1. Keywords: Neurofibromatosis 1, Child, Sleep, Cognition, Behavior.

The sleep of school children

The sleep of school children

Жалобы на нарушения сна у детей 5-13 лет: соотношение оценок детей и родителей. Часть 2

&lt;p&gt;The prevalence of sleep difficulties in children aged 5&amp;ndash;13 in the context of rare requests from parents for help to specialists allows us to raise the question of what features of children's sleep parents notice and which of them they consider as a problem. &lt;strong&gt;Aim.&lt;/strong&gt; To identify the features of recognition by parents of sleep difficulties in children aged 5&amp;ndash;13 years and their subjective qualification their children&amp;rsquo;s sleep as a problem. &lt;strong&gt;Methods.&lt;/strong&gt; In 147 pairs of &amp;laquo;parent&amp;ndash;child 5&amp;ndash;13 years old without diagnosed sleep disorders&amp;raquo; (47 pairs with a child 5&amp;ndash;6 years old, 49 with a child 7&amp;ndash;9 years old, 51 with a child 10&amp;ndash;13 years old), parents answered questions about the pattern of children's sleep habits and completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, while the children answered questions about the children's self&amp;ndash;report about their sleep (Sleep Self&amp;ndash;Report). &lt;strong&gt;Results.&lt;/strong&gt; Despite the prevalence of various sleep difficulties in children aged 5&amp;ndash;13 years, most of the symptoms, unless they are daily or extremely rare and culturally viewed as different from the norm, are rarely considered a problem by parents. The opinions of children and parents in relation to observable, externally verified behavioral manifestations were maximally coherent. The opinions of children and parents on aspects of sleep, which include not the manifestations themselves, but the assessment of their normativity, were not at all consistent with each other. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions.&lt;/strong&gt; The data point to both the importance of better informing parents about various aspects of children's sleep, and the relevance of clinicians' attention to those features of children's sleep that parents do not notice or are not considered a problem.&lt;/p&gt;