Sleep problems and daytime tiredness in Finnish preschool-aged children-a community survey.

Background: Sleep is important to the well-being and development of children. Specially, small children are vulnerable to the effects of inadequate sleep. However, not much is known about the frequency of all types of sleep problems and daytime tiredness in preschool-aged children.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of a wide spectrum of sleep problems, daytime tiredness and associations between these in 3- to 6-year-old Finnish children.

Methods: A population-based study where parents of 3- to 6-year-old children (n= 904) living in Helsinki filled in the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC).

Results: Of the children, 45% had at least one sleep-related problem occurring at least three times a week: 14.1% were unwilling to go to bed, 10.2% had difficulties in falling asleep, 10.2% had bruxism, 6.4% sleep talking, 2.1% sleep terrors, 8.2% had sleep-related breathing problem, 11.2% had excessive sweating while falling asleep and 12.9% excessive sweating during sleep. Age and gender were related to phenotype of the sleeping problems. In multiple regression analysis, the difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep were most strongly associated with tiredness in the morning and during the day.

Conclusions: Different types of sleep problems are frequent in preschool-aged children. Poor sleep quality is associated with morning and daytime tiredness. In screening for sleep problems in children, attention should be paid not only to sleep amount but also to sleep quality.