Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Children and Teens (cont.)
John Mersch, MD, FAAP
Dr. Mersch received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and prior to entering the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine, was a graduate student (attaining PhD candidate status) in Experimental Pathology at USC. He attended internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP
Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
In this Article
- How much sleep do children need?
- Can a lack of sleep impact a child's behavior?
- What is sleep hygiene?
- What are some common sleep disorders in children?
- What are some common physiological sleep disorder symptoms in children?
- Sleep apnea symptoms in children
- Parasomnia symptoms in children
- Confusional arousals symptoms in children
- Night terror symptoms in children
- Narcolepsy symptoms in children
- Sleepwalking in children
- Do teenagers have the same sleep requirements as younger children?
- How can I teach my child or teen healthy sleep habits and good sleep hygiene?
- What are some ways I can help my child or teenager get a better nights sleep?
- What are some "dont's" for getting my child or teen to sleep?
- Find a local Doctor in your town
Narcolepsy symptoms in children
Narcolepsy is more common in adults than children. It has been defined as "a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. Narcolepsy is a chronic condition for which there is no cure." Research has shown that narcolepsy is not a type of seizure, fainting episode, or psychological illness. Symptoms of narcolepsy include:
- Excessive
daytime sleepiness: affected individuals have an uncontrollable need to sleep
during the day;
- Sudden loss of muscle tone: this may range from slurred
speech to total collapse of all voluntary muscles. Emotional stimulation (often
positive by nature, for example, laughter) may trigger such an attack;
- Sleep paralysis: Characterized by a temporary (1-2 minutes) period of the
inability to speak or move when falling asleep or waking;
- Vivid or frightening hallucinations which occur most commonly during REM (dreaming) sleep.
Sleepwalking symptoms in children
The onset of sleepwalking (somnambulism) typically presents in prepubertal children most frequently at age 11 to 12, and occurs more often in boys than girls. The overall incidence of sleepwalking is approximately 18%. Like night terrors, the individual is difficult to arouse during the event, does not remember the experience, and most commonly occurs during the first third of the sleep cycle. Some sleepwalkers may also mumble during sleepwalking episodes and occasionally obscene words may be uttered. Medications are rarely necessary to manage sleepwalking episodes. Ensuring a safe environment (protection against falls, walking out of the house, etc.) and maintenance of good sleep habits (avoiding sleep deprivation) are important considerations to prevent sleepwalking.
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