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Increased sleep latency and reduced sleep duration in children with asthma

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Abstract

Study objective

Sleep disturbance is reported to be more prevalent in children and adolescents with asthma than those without. However, this has not been described adequately using objective measures. The aim of this study was to objectively characterise sleep disturbance in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children and adolescents.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of polysomnography recordings from children aged 5–17 years old, with (n = 113) and without asthma (n = 104), referred for a sleep study over the period 2005–2010 at the Paediatric Sleep Unit, John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, NSW Australia, was carried out.

Results

Polysomnographic recordings were analysed to compare sleep quality and quantity between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children. Sleep latency was significantly longer in asthmatic children compared to controls. However, this result was significant for females only (46.2 (5.6) vs 33.2 (2.7) min, p < 0.05). Male asthmatics had significantly shorter sleep duration (425.9 (5.4) vs 441.8 (5.4) min, p < 0.05) than male controls.

Conclusions

Sleep disturbance exists in children with asthma and manifests differently in males and females. Further investigation into the clinical implication of increased sleep latency and reduced sleep duration upon daytime functioning and lifestyle behaviours in children and adolescents with asthma is warranted.

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Abbreviations

AI:

Arousal index

BMI:

Body mass index

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

ECG:

Electrocardiogram

EEG:

Electroencephalogram

EMG:

Electromyogram

FEV1 :

Forced expiratory volume in one second

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

IQR:

Interquartile range

PSG:

Polysomnography

PEF:

Pulmonary expiratory flow

PSU:

Paediatric sleep unit

RDI:

Respiratory disturbance index

REM:

Rapid eye movement

SEM:

Standard error mean

TST:

Total sleep time

TTA:

Total time awake

OSA:

Obstructive sleep apnea

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the work of the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Paediatric Sleep Unit staff for the collection, extraction, and scoring of the polysomnography data.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, John Hunter Hospital, Locked Bag 1, Hunter Region Mail Centre, Newcastle, NSW, 2310, Australia

    Megan E. Jensen, Peter G. Gibson & Lisa G. Wood

  2. Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Megan E. Jensen, Peter G. Gibson & Lisa G. Wood

  3. School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Clare E. Collins

  4. Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, 2305, Australia

    Jodi M. Hilton

  5. Paediatric Sleep Unit, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, 2305, Australia

    Fiona Latham-Smith

Authors
  1. Megan E. Jensen
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  2. Peter G. Gibson
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  3. Clare E. Collins
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  4. Jodi M. Hilton
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  6. Lisa G. Wood
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa G. Wood.

Additional information

Megan E. Jensen is supported by an Asthma Research Centre University of Newcastle RHD Scholarship and a Hunter Medical Research Institute Donor Grant.

This work was carried out at the Hunter Medical Research Institute John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia, in partnership with the University of Newcastle, Australia.

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Jensen, M.E., Gibson, P.G., Collins, C.E. et al. Increased sleep latency and reduced sleep duration in children with asthma. Sleep Breath 17, 281–287 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-012-0687-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-012-0687-1

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