Pediatric insomnia: clinical, diagnosis, and treatment

Rev Neurol. 2014 Jan 1;58(1):35-42.
[Article in English, Spanish]

Abstract

Pediatric insomnia is an extrinsic sleep disorder subdivided into two categories: behavioral insomnia and insomnia related to medical, neurological, and psychiatric diseases. This review will cover several types of insomnia, comorbidities and specific pediatric therapies according to clinical characteristics and age. Behavioral insomnia should be differentiated from pediatric insomnia due to medical conditions, mostly occurring during the first year of life. Multiple night awakenings and diurnal hypersomnolence are strong indicators of insomnia due to medical conditions. Insomnia during adolescence and pediatric insomnia associated with psychiatric comorbidity, cognitive disabilities and epilepsy, will be discussed in terms of diagnosis, clinical features and implications for treatment.

Title: Insomnio pediatrico: clinica, diagnostico y tratamiento.

El insomnio pediatrico es un trastorno de sueño extrinseco que puede subdividirse en dos categorias: insomnio conductual e insomnio relacionado con trastornos medicos, neurologicos y psiquiatricos. En esta revision presentamos varios tipos de insomnios, comorbilidad y terapias especificas de acuerdo con la edad y con las caracteristicas clinicas. El insomnio conductual se debe diferenciar del insomnio pediatrico por causas medicas, ya que este ultimo aparece, normalmente, en el primer año de vida. Los despertares nocturnos frecuentes y la somnolencia diurna excesiva indican un insomnio debido a causas medicas. El insomnio del adolescente y el insomnio pediatrico asociado a trastornos psiquiatricos, alteraciones cognitivas y epilepsia se discutiran en terminos de diagnostico, hallazgos clinicos e implicaciones terapeuticas.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Behavior Therapy
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / diagnosis
  • Child Behavior Disorders / therapy
  • Chronobiology Disorders / complications
  • Chronobiology Disorders / drug therapy
  • Chronobiology Disorders / therapy
  • Cognition Disorders / complications
  • Comorbidity
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Dyssomnias / therapy
  • Epilepsy / complications
  • Epilepsy / drug therapy
  • Food Hypersensitivity / complications
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux / complications
  • Humans
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives / therapeutic use
  • Melatonin / pharmacokinetics
  • Melatonin / therapeutic use
  • Mental Disorders / complications
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / drug therapy
  • Mental Disorders / therapy
  • Psychotropic Drugs / therapeutic use
  • Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic / diagnosis
  • Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic / etiology
  • Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic / physiopathology
  • Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic / therapy
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* / diagnosis
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* / etiology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* / psychology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* / therapy
  • Substance-Related Disorders / complications

Substances

  • Hypnotics and Sedatives
  • Psychotropic Drugs
  • Melatonin