title: Sleep disorders in children: a national assessment of primary care pediatrician practices and perceptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess general pediatricians' screening practices for sleep-related issues and assess their knowledge on common sleep complaints in children, their perceived barriers to screening for sleep issues, and whether they have received training regarding sleep issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national random sample (n = 700) of general pediatricians who were members of the American Academy of Pediatrics were sent a valid and reliable questionnaire on sleep problems in youth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 346 pediatricians (49%) responded. The vast majority (96%) indicated that they believed it was their job to counsel patients/guardians regarding sleep hygiene, yet few pediatricians (18%) had ever received formal training on sleep disorders. Those who did not screen for sleep problems spent significantly less time with each patient and perceived significantly more barriers to screening. Pediatricians who had received training about sleep disorders had significantly higher knowledge scores on sleep problems, perceived significantly fewer barriers to screening, and reported significantly higher confidence scores regarding counseling patients/guardians on sleep problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the need for formal education on sleep disorders for all pediatricians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Firoza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Faruqui
authors.forename: Jagdish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khubchandani
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolyard
authors.forename: Ramalinga
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires