Influence of sleep-onset time on the development of 18-month-old infants: Japan Children's cohort study.

Objective: We report here the influence of sleep patterns on the development of infants in Japan. A total of 479 infants were registered in two different Japanese cities. Direct neurological observations were performed by licensed pediatric neurologists.

High incidence of sleep problems in children with developmental disorders: results of a questionnaire survey in a Japanese elementary school.

Objective: The aim of the present school-based questionnaire was to analyze the sleep problems of children with developmental disorders, such as pervasive developmental disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Methods: The sleep problems of 43 children with developmental disorders were compared with those of 372 healthy children (control group). All children attended one public elementary school in Kurume, Japan; thus, the study avoided the potential bias associated with hospital-based surveys (i.

Sleep architecture in healthy 5-year-old preschool children: associations between sleep schedule and quality variables.

Aim: Although disturbed sleep quality such as night awakenings and difficulties in falling asleep are common symptoms during sleep in preschool children, relationships between sleep quality and sleep schedule are mostly unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between sleep schedule and quality variables in preschool children.

Methods: Sleep-wake patterns of 48 healthy 5-year-old children were assessed over 7 consecutive days using actigraphy.

Determinants of sleep patterns in healthy Japanese 5-year-old children.

Background: Early childhood is an important period for the development of sleep patterns; studies of sleep patterns in young preschool children may help elucidate the mechanism of associated mental/physical conditions and later sleep problems.

Aim And Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic independent variables associated with sleep patterns in preschool children using actigraphy. Forty-eight 5-year-old children from two types of nurseries, which accommodate children with (Type A) or without (Type B) in-home caregivers, were invited to undergo a 7-day actigraphic sleep study.

A novel subjective sleep assessment tool for healthy elementary school children in Japan.

Background: A child's sleep pattern is important in defining his or her mental and physical well-being. Although we have reported previously on the utility of collecting 2 weeks of daily sleep logs, this type of record keeping is often onerous for the parents. Therefore, we established a new questionnaire, called the Japan Children's Study Sleep Questionnaire (JCSSQ), which is used to collect sleep pattern data over 4 weeks, including weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Utility of subjective sleep assessment tools for healthy preschool children: a comparative study between sleep logs, questionnaires, and actigraphy.

Background: Sleep pattern is an important factor in a child's mental, behavioural and physical status. To evaluate the sleep patterns of children, subjective tools such as sleep logs and questionnaires are still widely used in addition to objective methods of sleep assessment. Despite the established correlation between subjective and objective sleep variables, the characteristic features of subjective assessment have not been elucidated.

Scale properties of the Japanese version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): a study of infant and school children in community samples.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a short screening instrument which addresses the positive and negative behavioral attributes of infants, children and adolescents. The SDQ is widely used to evaluate child developmental disabilities, psychological and psychiatric conditions or disorders in Japan. However, we did not have normative data for the Japanese version until now.

Interventional study on fatigue relief in mothers caring for hospitalized children--effect of massage incorporating techniques from oriental medicine.

The study objective was to clarify the effect of massage on mothers caring for their hospitalized children. We conducted a comparative analysis of whether palm and shoulder massage could mitigate the physical and mental exhaustion experienced by such mothers. Subjects were 68 mothers whose children were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Kurume University Hospital with illnesses of varying severity.