Clinical Evaluation of Sleep Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence / 대한소아신경학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Sleep disorders cause serious complications to growth and development in children given that sleep plays an important role in maintaining physical and psychological health. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of sleep disorders in childhood and adolescence, their polysomnographs (PSG), as well as other related diseases. METHODS: Forty-two patients who took PSG in Severance Children's Hospital from September 2006 to April 2010 were involved in this study. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among 42 patients, there were 29 boys and 13 girls; their mean age was 9 years 10 months. Twenty-three (55%) patients reported headache as their chief complaint. Symptoms associated with headache were insomnia, snoring and mouth breathing, daytime sleepiness, abnormal behavior during sleep, and hyperactivity. Among the 23 patients with headaches, nine (39%) had abnormal PSG. Among 21 patients with snoring and mouth breathing, only five (24%) were diagnosed as obstructive sleep apnea and others had primary snoring. In the analysis of sleep disorders according to age, obstructive sleep apnea was evenly distributed across all ages. CONCLUSION: In this study, various clinical symptoms related to childhood and adolescence sleep disorder with headache being the most common symptom. Although sleep disorders are harmful to children and adolescence, they are frequently overlooked. Therefore, careful attention related to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders is required.