Chronic Sleep Reduction in Childhood and Adolescence

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chronic Sleep Reduction in Childhood and Adolescence

T2 - Point prevalence, psychosocial characteristics and sleep indicators in a representative sample

AU - Paschke, Kerstin

AU - Laurenz, Léa

AU - Thomasius, Rainer

PY - 2020/10/2

Y1 - 2020/10/2

N2 - BACKGROUND: Habitually shortened nighttime sleep is a common phenomenon in childhood and adolescence, sometimes associated with chronic sleep reduction (CSR). CSR is associated with impairments of performance ability and emotional well-being. The extent to which children and adolescents in Germany suffer from CSR is unclear; it is also unclear what factors are predictive of CSR.METHODS: In the present study, we carried out a telephone survey in a representative sample of 998 children and adolescents aged 12 to 17, asking them about their sleep behavior, sleep disturbances, and mental well-being. A standardized method was used.RESULTS: The point prevalence of CSR was found to be 12.5% (95% confidence interval, [10.5; 14.6]). Children and adolescents affected by CSR reported a significantly higher frequency of insomnia, delayed sleep-phase syndrome, restless legs syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea. Female sex, pro - longed absence from school or vocational training, emotional and behavioral disturbances, age over 15 years, bedtimes after 10:38 pm on nights before school (or vocational training), getting up after 10:04 on days off, and reported insomnia were all associated with CSR, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from 2.2 to 21.1 (R2 = 0.32 in a logistic regression model).CONCLUSION: One in eight persons aged 12 to 17 in Germany, particularly girls, meets the criteria for CSR. CSR is associated with sleep disturbances and significantly impaired mental health and should, therefore, always be kept in mind in routine clinical practice. We provide a set of indicators for possible CSR that patients can easily be asked about.

AB - BACKGROUND: Habitually shortened nighttime sleep is a common phenomenon in childhood and adolescence, sometimes associated with chronic sleep reduction (CSR). CSR is associated with impairments of performance ability and emotional well-being. The extent to which children and adolescents in Germany suffer from CSR is unclear; it is also unclear what factors are predictive of CSR.METHODS: In the present study, we carried out a telephone survey in a representative sample of 998 children and adolescents aged 12 to 17, asking them about their sleep behavior, sleep disturbances, and mental well-being. A standardized method was used.RESULTS: The point prevalence of CSR was found to be 12.5% (95% confidence interval, [10.5; 14.6]). Children and adolescents affected by CSR reported a significantly higher frequency of insomnia, delayed sleep-phase syndrome, restless legs syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea. Female sex, pro - longed absence from school or vocational training, emotional and behavioral disturbances, age over 15 years, bedtimes after 10:38 pm on nights before school (or vocational training), getting up after 10:04 on days off, and reported insomnia were all associated with CSR, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from 2.2 to 21.1 (R2 = 0.32 in a logistic regression model).CONCLUSION: One in eight persons aged 12 to 17 in Germany, particularly girls, meets the criteria for CSR. CSR is associated with sleep disturbances and significantly impaired mental health and should, therefore, always be kept in mind in routine clinical practice. We provide a set of indicators for possible CSR that patients can easily be asked about.

U2 - 10.3238/arztebl.2020.0661

DO - 10.3238/arztebl.2020.0661

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 33357350

VL - 117

SP - 661

EP - 667

JO - DTSCH ARZTEBL INT

JF - DTSCH ARZTEBL INT

SN - 1866-0452

IS - 40

ER -