Soonyiu Yau1, Ruth M Pickering2, Paul Gringras3, Heather Elphick4, Hazel J Evans5, Michael Farquhar3, Jane Martin6, Anna Joyce7, Janine Reynolds4, Ruth N Kingshott4, Jodi A Mindell8, Catherine M Hill9. 1. Division of Clinical Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK. 2. Primary Care and Population Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK. 3. Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guys St Thomas's NHS Trust, UK. 4. Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK. 5. Southampton Children's Hospital, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, UK. 6. Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, UK. 7. Coventry University, UK. 8. Saint Joseph's University and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA. 9. Southampton Children's Hospital, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, UK; School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK. Electronic address: cmh2@soton.ac.uk.
Abstract
AIMS: To compare sleep in infants and toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) to typically developing controls, including differences in snoring and sleep ecology (sleep setting and parent behaviors). METHODS: Parents of 104 children with DS and 489 controls aged 6-36 months completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ). We explored group differences, controlling for demographic variables. RESULTS: Parents of children with DS reported more sleep problems (45% v 19%), snoring (19% vs 2%), room-sharing (37% vs 17%), as well as less night-time sleep (55 mins) and total sleep over 24 h (38 mins). They were more likely to be present when their child fell asleep (OR 4.40). Snoring increased night waking but did not limit night-time/24-hour sleep. However, parental presence was associated with 55 min less night-time and 64 min less 24-hour sleep. After controlling for snoring and parental presence, children with DS slept less at night (38 mins) but more during the day (21 mins) with no significant difference in 24-hour sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, significant differences in sleep patterns, problems, and ecology were found between children with DS and controls. Parental presence at settling, not snoring, explained most differences, including over an hour's less 24-hour sleep. Early intervention programmes that promote self-soothing skills could prevent the burden of sleep loss in young children with DS.
AIMS: To compare sleep in infants and toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) to typically developing controls, including differences in snoring and sleep ecology (sleep setting and parent behaviors). METHODS: Parents of 104 children with DS and 489 controls aged 6-36 months completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ). We explored group differences, controlling for demographic variables. RESULTS: Parents of children with DS reported more sleep problems (45% v 19%), snoring (19% vs 2%), room-sharing (37% vs 17%), as well as less night-time sleep (55 mins) and total sleep over 24 h (38 mins). They were more likely to be present when their child fell asleep (OR 4.40). Snoring increased night waking but did not limit night-time/24-hour sleep. However, parental presence was associated with 55 min less night-time and 64 min less 24-hour sleep. After controlling for snoring and parental presence, children with DS slept less at night (38 mins) but more during the day (21 mins) with no significant difference in 24-hour sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, significant differences in sleep patterns, problems, and ecology were found between children with DS and controls. Parental presence at settling, not snoring, explained most differences, including over an hour's less 24-hour sleep. Early intervention programmes that promote self-soothing skills could prevent the burden of sleep loss in young children with DS.