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Sleep Issues in Children with Chronic Health Conditions

by Mary Beth Nierengarten •

One critical area Dr. Crabtree emphasized in identifying sleep issues in children with cancer is educating parents on the need to look for this in their children. She said parents often do not recognize the level of sleepiness in their children and therefore do not seek treatment.

Dr. Crabtree highlighted the need for otolaryngologists to query children with cancer as well as survivors of pediatric cancer about their level of alertness. Children found to be excessively sleepy should be managed clinically to improve daytime alertness.

She also said current research is looking at rates of sleep-disordered breathing in children with craniopharyngioma over time, because it is known that these children are at significant risk for hypothalamic obesity.

Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical writer based in Minnesota.

Take-Home Points

  • Sleep problems and disorders are common in children with chronic health conditions; if left unrecognized and unaddressed, these issues can have a significant negative effect on the course of the chronic illness and overall quality of life.
  • Early intervention to reduce sleep problems is important to interrupt the negative cycle of persistent pain and disability in children with chronic pain, and physicians need to target both sleep habits and depressive symptoms, which are both important predictors of chronic insomnia in this population.
  • In children with asthma, interventions that address sleep hygiene, sleep duration, and insomnia symptoms are important—and treatable.
  • The importance of recognizing and clinically managing excessive sleepiness in children with cancer is highlighted by the risk for negative effects of brain tumors and tumor treatment on cognition over time.