Sleep architecture in term and preterm infants beyond the neonatal period: the influence of gestational age, steroids, and ventilatory support.

Study Objective: To examine (1) sleep architecture of infants at varied risk for sudden infant death syndrome, (2) delays or advances in preterm infants at term postmenstrual age, (3) whether ventilatory support and gestational age alter sleep, (4) whether steroids alter sleep, (5) confounding influences of sex, small for gestational age, and maternal smoking.

Design: Overnight polysomnography.

Dependent Variables: Percentage of active sleep, quiet sleep, indeterminate, and awake time per total recording time; mean and longest duration of state epochs; number of episodes > or = 10 minutes; and sleep efficiency.