[The pediatrician and the child with sleep disorders]

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to better understand the sleeping habits and its most frequent alterations in a general pediatric population and to propose a systematic study of ambulatory attendance.

Patients and methods: A questionnaire of closed questions, multiple choice and unique answers was sent to an infantile population constituted of 240 children between 6 and 11 months of age and 894 children between 1 and 6 years of age. Data was collected in the 4 different seasons of the year when concluding the control of health. The answers came from the closest relative.

Results: 1. There was a high incidence of sleep interruptions during the first semester of life (53.3%). 2. Starting from the third year of life, an important decrease in night awakenings took place. In spite of this, until 6 years of age, 18.6% of the children interrupted their family's sleep at least 3 times per week. 3. At 6 years of age 12.1% of the children had not learned how to fall asleep.

Conclusions: Our study confirms a high incidence of alterations of sleep and the necessity of insisting in its prevention during health revisions.