Types of Sleep Disorders in Children

Depending upon their age, children should sleep for anywhere from nine hours (for 12- to 18-year olds) to 15 ½ hours (for a 1-month old). Any interruption or abnormality in a child’s sleeping patterns should be closely examined by a pediatric sleep medicine specialist.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Program consists of a multidisciplinary team of professionals whose primary focus is providing pediatric-specific care for children living with sleep disorders and their families.

Children who have sleep disorders may often exhibit symptoms (inattentiveness, over-activity, restlessness) similar to ADHD. Because of this symptomatic overlap, children living with sleep disorders are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD. Children exhibiting these symptoms or other behavioral problems should be carefully assessed by a pediatric sleep medicine specialist for sleep problems.

Types of Sleep Disorders

The clinic addresses several disorders, including, but not limited to:

• Sleep apnea
• REM sleep behavior disorder
• Periodic limb movement disorder
• Sleep paralysis
• Hypersomnia
• Enuresis (bed wetting)
• Insomnia
• Somniloquy
• Narcolepsy
• Somnambulism
• Nightmares/sleep terrors
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome

Symptoms of a Sleep Disorder

Symptoms that call for a sleep evaluation can include:

• Excessive snoring
• Lapses in breathing/gasping for air
• Bed wetting in children older than 6 years old
• Multiple nighttime arousals
• Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep
• Restless sleep
• Hyperactivity
• Unusual movements/behavior during sleep
• A decline in school performance
• Excessive drowsiness/daytime sleepiness
• Sleep walking
• Sudden inability to move

Contact Us/Appointments

(602) 933-0985