Sleep disorders in children.
BACKGROUND
Sleep disorders may affect 20-30% of young children, and include excessive daytime sleepiness, problems getting to sleep (dysomnias), or undesirable phenomena during sleep (parasomnias), such as sleep terrors, and sleepwalking. Children with physical or learning disabilities are at increased risk of sleep disorders.


METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments for dysomnias in children? What are the effects of treatments for parasomnias in children? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to September 2006 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).


RESULTS
We found 14 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: antihistamines, behavioural therapy plus benzodiazepines, or plus chloral and derivates, exercise, extinction and graduated extinction, light therapy, melatonin, safety/protective interventions for parasomnias, scheduled waking (for parasomnias), sleep hygiene, and sleep restriction.
Montgomery
Paul
P
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Dunne
Danielle
D
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy; D008550:Melatonin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020447:Parasomnias / Q000188:drug therapy; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy
D008550:Melatonin