The parasomnias of childhood.
Parents are rarely questioned in detail about the sleep characteristics of their children except during the infancy period. Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, affects approximately 15% of young children. Safety is the biggest concern for a family whose child sleepwalks. Other parasomnias include night terrors, nightmares, and sleeptalking. This article explores the incidence and characteristics of parasomnias, reviews the physiology of sleep, and offers pediatric nurse practitioners information for history taking and anticipatory guidance.
Clore
E R
ER
Hibel
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004325:Dreams; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D013009:Somnambulism