Snoring and sleep disturbance among children from an orthodontic setting.

Studies of snoring and sleep disturbance in the United States have been predominantly in clinic-based settings of children suspected to have obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to utilize an orthodontic setting in which healthy children were seen regularly to study the prevalence of snoring and sleep disturbance among 405 children aged 6 to 17 years of age and to identify specific sleep behavior patterns associated with the increased odds of snoring. A sleep behavior questionnaire was administered to the child's parent or guardian. The questionnaire responses were analyzed using chi(2) analysis, and factor analysis was used to extract meaningful domains. The selected domains were used later in a logistic model to calculate the odds of snoring. The results indicated that 17% of the children habitually snored. The odds of snoring were approximately three times greater among mouth breathers and children who slept with their head tipped back and 1.5 times greater among those with morning headaches and frequent coughs and colds. In conclusion, snorers have significantly more sleep behavior problems than do non-snorers.