Chronic illness worsens sleep problems

Children with sleep problems often don't outgrow them, and these problems may be particularly persistent in those with chronic illness.

Studies that have looked at a single point in time have shown that chronically ill children have more sleep problems than healthy ones. However, there have been no studies that follow sleep problems in ill children over time.

Lack of sleep can worsen the symptoms of many chronic illnesses, and making it harder for children to learn. Too little sleep can also impair the immune system, making the child more prone to other illnesses.

To study persistent sleep problems in both chronically ill as well as healthy children, researchers used data from the Bergen Child Study, which includes all children attending schools in the city. Among the 4,025 children in the analysis, 295 (approximately seven percent), had some type of chronic illness, such as epilepsy, diabetes, migraine, or cerebral palsy.

The researchers collected two "waves" of data, the first when the children were 7 to 9 years old, and the second when they were 11 to 13 years old. The researchers asked parents if their child had difficulty falling asleep or woke frequently during the night.

It was found that nearly 7 percent of the sick children had sleep problems at both points in time, compared to only 4 percent of healthy children. Rates of sleep difficulties also tended to increase over time in both groups. At the first survey, 8 percent had sleep problems, while 12 percent had these problems at age 11 to 13 years. Being hyperactive or having emotional problems at the first data collection point also increased the risk of later problems.

The above findings highlight the importance of identifying sleep problems in such children, which can be effectively treated using behavioural strategies and other approaches like consistent bedtime routines, removal of distractions and maintaining sleep hygiene.