Sleep problems in children with common medical disorders

Abstract

Sleep problems are common in many pediatric medical disorders and complicate management and patient outcomes. A wide range of conditions, including asthma, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, gastroesophageal reflux, neuromuscular diseases, scoliosis, craniofacial abnormalities, obesity, and chromosomal disorders, have various sleep disturbances, including sleep-disordered breathing, ventilatory dysfunction, sleep-onset and sleep maintenance problems, and circadian rhythm disturbances. Given the adverse neurocognitive and physiologic outcomes associated with a deranged night's sleep, it is important for pediatricians to be able to anticipate, recognize, and appropriately manage these problems. This article reviews the known sleep-related problems of a few relatively common pediatric disorders.