Sleep Environment and Non-Rapid Eye Movement-Related Parasomnia Among Children: 42 Case Series

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical features related to sleep environment of nonrapid eye movement (NREM)-related parasomnia. It was a retrospective medical record review of 42 children. We investigated demographic information, sleep pattern, sleep environment, and the mother’s dysfunctional beliefs about the child’s sleep. The mean age of subjects was 6.3 ± 3.1. The diagnosis was night terror (n = 21), sleepwalking (n = 8), confusional arousal (n = 2), and unspecified (n = 11). The average time of sleep pattern was as follow; bedtime 21:39 ± 0:54 pm, sleep onset time 22:13 ± 0:54 pm, wake-up time 7:37 ± 0:42 am and NREM-related parasomnia occurrence time 1:09 ± 2:04 am. The average number of co-sleeping members was 2.8. 48.5% (n = 16) mothers experienced coldness while sleeping, and 64.7% (n = 22) parents had dysfunctional beliefs about their children’s sleep. The large number of co-sleeping members, coldness mothers experienced while sleeping, and dysfunctional beliefs about their children’s sleep may influence the NREM-parasomnia in children.

Keywords

• parasomnia
• sleep environment
• co-sleep
• children