Effect of sleep on schoolchildren’s health

Abstract

Objective. To determine the spectrum and prevalence of sleep and sleep-related breathing disorders and the daytime/nighttime patterns associated with them in elementary school children. Patients and methods. A questionnaire was administered to parents of 262 schoolchildren aged between 7 and 10 years (142 boys and 120 girls). It comprised 76 questions on the features of nighttime sleep, factors influencing its disorders, as well as on complaints about various sleep and sleep-related breathing disorders. Signs of sleep disorders were assessed through verbal communication with children or were recorded by parents during their nighttime sleep. The questionnaire provided “yes”/”no”/”do not know” response options. Statistical analysis included the frequency analysis of sleep disorders and sleep complaints. The analysis was performed using Python software libraries: pandas 1.4.3, scipy.stats 1.8.1. Results. According to the results of the questionnaire, 46% of elementary school children had from 2 to 11 different complaints about sleep, and these were mainly 9-10-year-old children. The most frequent complaints were difficulty falling asleep (19%), sleep talking (18%), and nightmares (12%). Short sleep duration was noted in every fifth child due to late bedtime (р < 0.001) and early awakening (р < 0.001). It was significantly associated not only with fatigue, irritability, reduced cognitive performance, but also with indirect signs of sleep-disordered breathing: excessive morning thirst (р = 0.019) and morning dry mouth (р = 0.04). Complaints of nocturnal snoring (12% of children) and short sleep duration showed a strong correlation with frequent ARIs per year (р < 0.001, р = 0.003, respectively). Daily screen time of more than four hours was registered in 13% of children, and 51% used electronic devices predominantly before bedtime. The following waking patterns were found to be the most significant for sleep disorders: late bedtime (р = 0.004), using gadgets at night (р = 0.028), and finishing using gadgets before bedtime (р < 0.001). In addition, 31% of children took a meal before bedtime, which was significantly correlated with nightmares (р = 0.049) as one of the most frequent signs of sleep disturbance. Conclusion. Questioning elementary school children and their parents for early detection of signs of sleep disorders, prevention of ARIs, identification of children with sleep-disordered breathing and timely treatment of their causes, control over compliance with hygienic requirements for waking and sleeping regimes, especially with the recommended sleep duration, restriction of meals and using gadgets before going to bed are a set of measures for sleep normalization, promoting the development of a personalized approach to prevent a whole range of socially significant pathologies. Key words: sleep disorder, elementary school children, comorbidity, snoring, prevention