Screening for Sleep Disturbances in Children and Adolescents with Tics,Headache Disorders or Type 1 Diabetes

Sleep is essential for mental and physical well-being, yet it is often overlooked in children with medical conditions. To address this gap, we implemented screening for sleep disturbances to assess their prevalence in our clinics and identify potential intervention strategies. This cross-sectional study included children and adolescents aged 6-17 years with tics/Tourette syndrome, headaches, type 1 diabetes, and a healthy control group, who completed the validated Sleep Screening Questionnaire–Children and Adolescents (SSQ-CA).

In total, 157 children with medical conditions and 117 healthy children completed the Sleep Screening Questionnaire–Children and Adolescents. Overall, 81.5% of the children with medical conditions reported a sleep disturbance compared with 70.9% in the healthy group (P = .28). Those with medical conditions reported poorer sleep quality (P < .001) and more awakenings (P = .047), as well as more frequent use of mobile/computer (P = .001) and television (P = .002) before bedtime compared with healthy children.

We identified an alarmingly high prevalence of sleep disturbances in children with selected medical conditions, including more use of screens before bedtime, highlighting a significant yet frequently overlooked issue and possible target for intervention.