1. Sleep disorders in children.
- Author
-
Hoban TF
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Body Weight, Child, Child Development physiology, Diagnosis, Differential, Enuresis physiopathology, Enuresis therapy, Humans, Night Terrors physiopathology, Night Terrors therapy, Palatine Tonsil pathology, Polysomnography, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive epidemiology, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive physiopathology, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive therapy, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders epidemiology, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders physiopathology, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders therapy, Sleep Wake Disorders physiopathology, Sleep Wake Disorders therapy, Somnambulism physiopathology, Somnambulism therapy, Sleep Wake Disorders epidemiology
- Abstract
Although sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are common in both children and adults, the clinical features and treatments for these conditions differ considerably between these two populations. Whereas an adult with obstructive sleep apnea typically presents with a history of obesity, snoring, and prominent daytime somnolence, a child with the condition is more likely to present with normal body weight, tonsillar hypertrophy, and inattentiveness during school classes. The adult with suspected sleep apnea almost always undergoes a baseline polysomnogram and proceeds to treatment only if this test confirms the diagnosis, while many children with suspected sleep apnea are treated empirically with adenotonsillectomy without ever receiving a sleep study to verify the diagnosis. This article reviews sleep disorders in children, with a particular focus on age-related changes in sleep, conditions that primarily affect children, and disorders for which clinical manifestations and treatment differ substantially from the adult population.
- Published
- 2010
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