Prevalence and course of sleep problems in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
The Cologne Children's Sleep Study intended to provide information on prevalence and course of difficulties of initiating and maintaining sleep in childhood.


METHODS
Longitudinal study.


METHODS
Children of the fourth grade of elementary schools in Cologne.


METHODS
832 children and their parents; the mean age of the children was 9.4, 10.7, and 11.7 years at the 3 assessments.


RESULTS
Children and parents were surveyed using questionnaires 3 times on an annual basis. In self- and parental reports, about 30%-40% of the children of the longitudinal sample had problems falling asleep at the first assessment. One year later, about 30% to 40% of these children did not describe any difficulties initiating sleep, whereas about 60% did report continuing difficulties initiating sleep. Difficulties maintaining sleep are less common in childhood. The analysis of self- and parental reports revealed that in general children described significantly more difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep than their parents report.


CONCLUSIONS
Difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep may be transient or persistent. In practice, children and adolescents should be included in the diagnostic and therapeutic process.
Fricke-Oerkermann
Leonie
L
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Germany. Leonie.Fricke@uni-koeln.de
Plück
Julia
J
Schredl
Michael
M
Heinz
Kathrin
K
Mitschke
Alexander
A
Wiater
Alfred
A
Lehmkuhl
Gerd
G
D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires