Consequences of Sleep Loss or Sleep Disruption in Children
Section snippets
Daytime sleepiness
Undoubtedly, the most common consequence of insufficient or disrupted sleep is daytime sleepiness and reduced alertness [16]. The definition of daytime sleepiness is problematic and various objective and subjective measures do not necessarily converge [17]. The most common methods to assess sleepiness are the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) [18] and subjective reports [17].
Experimental studies on sleep deprivation or sleep restriction in children have indicated that increased daytime
Neurobehavioral functioning, learning, and academic performance
For brevity, the term NBF is used to refer to all cognitive domains. There is a rapidly growing literature on the effects of sleep problems and insufficient sleep on NBF. Most of this literature is correlative in nature, particularly the literature on sleep disruptions, demonstrating associations between sleep problems and insufficient sleep and compromised NBF. The consequences of sleep loss or insufficient sleep have been demonstrated, however, in a small number of experimental studies on the
Behavior, temperament, and mood
The effects of sleep loss and sleep disruptions on temperament, mood, and manifested behavior (as opposed to tested NBF) have rarely been studied with experimental designs. Most of the literature in this area is based on correlative studies with only a few exceptions.
Summary
The literature on the consequences of sleep loss and sleep disruptions in children is significantly lagging behind the literature on adults. The number of experimental studies on sleep deprivation or sleep restriction in children is very small and they mostly cover the area of NBF or cognitive performance. The findings of these studies, however, are generally in line with those obtained in adults. There is converging evidence that daytime sleepiness and fatigue are a direct and consistent
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