Sleep disturbances in a community sample from preschool to school age.

Objective: To study the prevalence of various sleep problems at school age in a Finnish community sample and to evaluate the persistence of the sleep problems from the preschool age to school age in a 4-year follow-up.

Methods: Parents completed the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaire on their child's sleep during the preschool years (3-6 years) and again during the school years (7-11 years). At follow-up the parents also completed a questionnaire on family structure and socio-economic status.