Examine the prevalence, patterns, and persistence of parent-reported sleep problems during the first 3 years of life.
Three hundred fifty-nine mother/child pairs participated in a prospective birth cohort study. Sleep questionnaires were administered to mothers when children were 6, 12, 24, and 36 months old. Sleep variables included parent response to a nonspecific query about the presence/absence of a sleep problem and 8 specific sleep outcome domains: sleep onset latency, sleep maintenance, 24-hour sleep duration, daytime sleep/naps, sleep location, restlessness/vocalization, nightmares/night terrors, and snoring.
Prevalence of a parent-reported sleep problem was 10% at all assessment intervals. Night wakings and shorter sleep duration were associated with a parent-reported sleep problem during infancy and early toddlerhood (6–24 months), whereas nightmares and restless sleep emerged as associations with report of a sleep problem in later developmental periods (24–36 months). Prolonged sleep latency was associated with parent report of a sleep problem throughout the study period. In contrast, napping, sleep location, and snoring were not associated with parent-reported sleep problems. Twenty-one percent of children with sleep problems in infancy (compared with 6% of those without) had sleep problems in the third year of life.
Ten percent of children are reported to have a sleep problem at any given point during early childhood, and these problems persist in a significant minority of children throughout early development. Parent response to a single-item nonspecific sleep query may overlook relevant sleep behaviors and symptoms associated with clinical morbidity.
Comments
Sleep and Pinworms
Sleep disturbance causes many behavior problems which are often treated with drugs. Pinworms disturbs sleep when a worm crawls out and lays 11,000 itchy microscopic eggs. Imagine what hundreds of worms repeatedly can do to sleep cycles.
Pinworms spread by contact and travel as dust. Eggs are viable for 2 to 3 weeks.
In past years, doctors considered this as a sleep problem. Did all the worms go away? Enteriobiasis occurs in 10% to 50% of children. This is an easy to treat problem. Even the sleep labs we contacted are not aware of this problem. [25 years ago a sleep lab diagnosed pinworms in our case. ]
Over the counter Pryantel Pamoate in several brands, as well as prescription wormers get rid of pinworms. Few drug stores carry this medicine but can order it. If the patient's sleep improves, then they don't need stronger meds.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared