Pediatric Sleep Challenges Video Perspectives

In this video playlist, Anne Marie Morse, DO, spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the director of child neurology and pediatric sleep medicine at Geisinger Medical Center, discusses:

• sleep conditions and challenges common in children, including insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-disordered breathing and parasomnias as well as less common conditions such as narcolepsy; 
• how treating sleep issues in children can be challenging because “we’re dealing with a moving target,” as they are undergoing neurodevelopment and their sleep needs change as they age;
• the importance of personalizing therapeutic interventions in children with sleep challenges, including behavioral strategies like improving sleep hygiene, potentially referring patients to an otolaryngologist  to see if surgical options are needed and other options such as positive airway pressure therapy;
• what to know about over-the-counter options available for pediatric sleep challenges that have some supporting evidence in the literature, such as melatonin, and other remedies that families often use but are not recommended for sleep challenges, such as products containing diphenhydramine;
• how children often adopt a “free sleep schedule” during the summer and how the “social imposing” of a set sleep schedule during the school year can be difficult for children;
• the harms of a permanent daylight saving time, which would not “do anyone a favor,” particularly children and adolescents who attend school, as many of them would be leaving for school during dark hours of the day for part of the year;
• when primary care physicians and pediatricians should refer children with sleep challenges to specialists; and
• how clinicians should approach conversations with parents about sleep challenges in children, and the importance of being “empathetic and precise” in their treatment approaches.