Prevalence of sleep problems and relationship between sleep problems and school refusal behavior in school-aged children in children's and parents' ratings.

Objective: This cross-section study investigated the prevalence of sleep disorders and the relationship between sleep problems (insomnias, parasomnias, and daytime sleepiness) and school refusal behavior in school-age children (fourth grade elementary school in Cologne, Germany).

Method: A sample of 1,490 children (age range: 8-11 years) and their parents each completed a sleep questionnaire and the School Refusal Assessment Scale.

Results: The results indicate that sleep problems in childhood are frequent.

The affective storms of school children during night time: do affective dysregulated school children show a specific pattern of sleep disturbances?

In many mentally ill children, a new phenotype of affective and behavioural dysregulation can be observed. Not much is known about development and maintenance of this phenotype. A possible risk factor that has been suggested is disturbed sleep.

Sleep disorders in children beginning school: their causes and effects.

Background: Sleep disorders are a common problem among children beginning school and may be associated both with impaired school performance and with behavioral difficulties. Because these disorders manifest themselves highly variably among children of any given age, and even in an individual affected child, they need an appropriate diagnostic evaluation so that the many environmental and background factors that may be relevant to the further course of the problem can be assessed.

Methods: Extensive data were obtained on approximately 1400 children who were tested before beginning school in 2005 by means of a special sleep questionnaire and another screening instrument that is used to assess behavioral strengths and difficulties (the SDQ, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire).

Longitudinal study of nightmares in children: stability and effect of emotional symptoms.

Nightmares are defined as dreams with strong negative emotions which awaken the dreamer and are common during childhood: cross-sectional data shows the highest prevalence rates between the ages of five and ten. The present longitudinal study was designed to study the stability of nightmares over the course of 2 years. Sleep questionnaires and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires were completed by 851 10-years-old children and their parents, separately.

Factors affecting nightmares in children: parents' vs. children's ratings.

Objective: The present study investigated the relationship between daytime symptomatology and nightmare frequency in school-aged children by eliciting daytime symptoms and nightmare frequency from children directly in addition to questionnaires completed by their parents.

Methods: A sample of 4,834 parents and 4,531 of their children (age range: 8-11 years) completed each a sleep questionnaire and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ).

Results: The results of the study clearly indicate that there is an underestimation of nightmare frequency in the parents' ratings compared to the children's data (effect size: d = 0.

Prevalence and course of sleep problems in childhood.

Study Objectives: The Cologne Children's Sleep Study intended to provide information on prevalence and course of difficulties of initiating and maintaining sleep in childhood.

Design: Longitudinal study.

Setting: Children of the fourth grade of elementary schools in Cologne.