Anxiety disorders and comorbid sleep problems in school-aged youth: review and future research directions.

This review examines the relationship between anxiety disorders and sleep related problems (SRPs) in school-aged youth. Following an overview of normative sleep patterns and maturational sleep changes, the review addresses issues related to sleep measurement. SRPs are reviewed in relation to executive functions (e.g. affect regulation) as is the shared role of neurological regions in the regulation of anxiety and sleep. Studies of the association between SRPs and anxiety in anxiety-disordered samples are reviewed with explicit consideration of the potential mechanisms underlying the sleep-anxiety relationship (e.g., arousal, sleep hygiene, parental accommodation). Specific cognitive-behavioral treatments for SRPs and anxiety are reviewed with regard to their impact on comorbid anxiety or SRPs. Methodological limitations are noted and recommendations for future research are proposed.