Earlier Bedtimes Mediate the Effect of a Brief Behavioral Sleep Intervention on Children's Weight Status.

Whether the effect of a brief behavioral sleep intervention on child weight status resulted from observed differences in sleep duration and/or bedtimes was assessed. Findings demonstrate that the intervention's beneficial effect on weight regulation was due to earlier bedtimes, suggesting the potential importance of earlier bedtimes for obesity prevention.

Randomized controlled trial to enhance children's sleep, eating, and weight.

BACKGROUND: The present study assessed the efficacy of a behavioral intervention to enhance children's sleep and reduce caloric intake and body mass index (BMI) change. METHODS: Seventy-eight children 8-11 years old who slept 9.5 h/night or less were randomized to the sleep intervention or to no treatment control. The primary outcome was 2-month change in the actigraph-estimated sleep period; changes in reported caloric intake, percent calories from fat, and BMI/BMI z-score (BMIz) were assessed. RESULTS: Children randomized to intervention enhanced their sleep period by 40 ± 7 min/night relative to control (p < 0.001), and were more likely to increase their sleep period by 30 min/night or more (52% versus 15%, p = 0.003). No differences were observed for reported dietary intake or BMI/BMIz. However, in post-hoc analyses collapsing across groups, those who increased sleep by 30 min/night or more had lower BMI (-0.31 kg/m2, p = 0.01) and BMIz (-0.07, p = 0.03) and reported fewer percent calories from fat at 2 months (-2.2%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: A brief behavioral intervention can enhance children's sleep, but did not result in changes in caloric intake or weight status. Enhancing sleep by 30 min/night or more may be beneficial for weight regulation. IMPACT: A brief behavioral intervention improved children's nocturnal sleep relative to no treatment control. Given the many benefits of a good night's sleep across domains of functioning, findings have significant implications for children's health and wellbeing. There were no differences between groups on eating behaviors or BMI. However, across groups, children who increased their sleep period by at least 30 min/night, reported reduced intake from fat and evidenced lower BMI at 2 months. Thus, a brief intervention can improve sleep and may have potential benefits for weight regulation.

Drowsy Driving, Sleep Duration, and Chronotype in Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether self-reported drowsy driving was associated with an evening chronotype, a biologically-based difference in circadian sleep-wake timing, and shorter school-night sleep duration in a sample of high school drivers. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational data were obtained from an online survey in spring 2015 of 431 drivers, age 15.5-18.7 years, attending Fairfax County (Virginia) Public schools. Drowsy driving was defined as having ever "driven a car or motor vehicle while feeling drowsy" in the last year. School-night sleep duration was calculated from school-night bedtime and wake time. Those with scores in the lower and upper tertiles of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children were designated as having an evening or morning chronotype, respectively. RESULTS: Among survey respondents, 63.1% drove at least several times a week and 47.6% reported drowsy driving. The covariate-adjusted prevalence of drowsy driving was 13.9% (95% CI 3.0%-24.9%) higher in students who slept <7 hours on school-nights than in those who slept 8 or more hours. Compared with those with a morning chronotype, the adjusted prevalence of drowsy driving was 15.2% (95% CI 4.5%-25.9%) higher among those with an evening chronotype. CONCLUSION: Among adolescent drivers, both an evening chronotype and shorter school-night sleep duration were associated with more frequent reports of drowsy driving. Interventions to improve the timing and duration of nighttime sleep in adolescents may reduce the occurrence of drowsy driving.

A Qualitative Assessment of the Acceptability of Smartphone Applications for Improving Sleep Behaviors in Low-Income and Minority Adolescents.

Background: Daily behaviors such as sleep can be targeted by smartphone app-based interventions, with potential utility among young people of minority ethnic backgrounds who commonly access smartphone devices and are short sleepers. There is a need to understand the acceptability and youth's readiness to use apps to improve sleep, and to identify desired app components that would motivate engagement. Participants and Methods: We conducted three focus group discussions (N = 27 total, age 14-18 years) within low- and middle-income ethnically diverse Boston neighborhoods. We also interviewed 10 participants who provided specific feedback on two commercially available sleep-promoting apps, one of which they had used on their smartphone preceding the interviews. All focus group discussions and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: We identified several barriers to adoption of sleep hygiene interventions, namely reluctance to follow scheduled sleep routines on weekends and concern about "parting" with electronics at bedtime. Participants were intrigued by the idea of adopting an app-based sleep intervention, but were skeptical that they could successfully adopt sleep hygiene practices, and were more interested in making changes on school days than on weekends. Nonetheless, the overall feedback on two commercial sleep apps, neither targeted at youth, was positive, with a good adherence and engagement rate, and perceived health benefits. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to adapt sleep hygiene recommendations to targeted populations, considering preferences and social and cultural contextual factors. Our research also underscores the importance of the platform, setting, and messenger when delivering health information to adolescents.

Insufficient sleep in adolescents: causes and consequences.

Insufficient sleep poses an important and complicated set of health risks in the adolescent population. Not only is deficient sleep (defined as both sleep duration inadequate to meet sleep needs and sleep timing misaligned with the body's circadian rhythms) at epidemic levels in this population, but the contributing factors are both complex and numerous and there are a myriad of negative physical and mental health, safety and performance consequences. Causes of inadequate sleep identified in this population include internal biological processes such as the normal shift (delay) in circadian rhythm that occurs in association with puberty and a developmentally-based slowing of the "sleep drive", and external factors including extracurricular activities, excessive homework load, evening use of electronic media, caffeine intake and early school start times. Consequences range from inattentiveness, reduction in executive functioning and poor academic performance to increased risk of obesity and cardio-metabolic dysfunction, mood disturbances which include increased suicidal ideation, a higher risk of engaging in health risk behaviors such as alcohol and substance use, and increased rates of car crashes, occupational injuries and sports-related injuries. In response to these concerns, a number of promising measures have been proposed to reduce the burden of adolescent sleep loss, including healthy sleep education for students and families, and later school start times to allow adolescents to obtain sufficient and appropriately-timed sleep.

Predicting sleep apnea in morbidly obese adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery.

INTRODUCTION: In adults, the association between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is established, and many are concerned OSA increases surgical risk. Pre-operative screening for OSA is standard, and this is also the case in adolescent bariatric surgery. We noted many of our patients were without significant OSA, despite being obese. We reviewed our experience with screening polysomnography (PSG) to determine any predictive variables or complications. METHODS: All bariatric surgery patients from our hospital who had undergone PSG were included, and were stratified into 'OSA' or 'no OSA' by obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI), as well as by sex. RESULTS: A total of 49 adolescents enrolled during the study period: 10 males and 39 females. OSA prevalence was 42.9 %; males 80 %, females 33.3 %. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and prevalence of hypertension were significantly higher in patients with OSA. By sex, females also had more metabolic syndrome and witnessed apneas, while only weight and BMI remained significant in males. There were no peri-operative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Despite uniform obesity, less than half our adolescents had significant OSA on PSG. As no modeling exists to predict OSA in morbidly obese adolescents, we continue to recommend routine PSG, especially in higher weight and BMI patients, and those with hypertension.

Behavioral Intervention that Extends Sleep Duration Leads to Greater Self-Control in School-Aged Children.

OBJECTIVE: Short sleep and evening phase preference associate with impaired self-control, yet few studies have assessed the efficacy of sleep extension for improving this behavioral domain. Thus, this secondary analysis of a behavioral sleep intervention measured whether an intervention that enhanced children's sleep also affected self-control. Differences by chronotype were also explored. METHODS: Sixty-seven children (8-11 yr), who reportedly slept <9.5 hr/d, were randomized to either a control or sleep intervention condition (i.e., 4-session behavioral intervention to enhance sleep by 1-1.5 hr/night). Chronotype was assessed using the Child Chronotype Questionnaire at baseline, and self-control was assessed using the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS, a caregiver report) at baseline and 8 weeks postrandomization. Total sleep time (TST) was measured using wrist actigraphy for 1 week at both baseline and 8 weeks postrandomization. Partial correlations and mixed-model ANOVAs were used for statistical analyses, with age as a covariate. RESULTS: At baseline, children with shorter TST (r = -0.29, p = 0.02) and an evening preference (r = 0.26, p = 0.049) were perceived as having lower self-control by their caregivers. Significant condition*time interaction effects were found for TST (p < 0.001) and SCRS score (p = 0.046): From baseline to follow-up, children randomized to the sleep intervention exhibited a significant increase in TST and were perceived as having greater self-control by their caregiver; children randomized to the control condition exhibited no change in TST or in SCRS score. The condition*chronotype*time interaction effect was not significant. CONCLUSION: A brief sleep intervention that enhanced TST also resulted in enhanced caregiver reported self-control in school-age children. Results add to the growing evidence for the importance of sleep health in children.

Periodic limb movement disorder in children: A systematic review.

This systematic review evaluates the scientific literature on pediatric periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), adhering to PRISMA guidelines and utilizing PICOS criteria. The search across PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus yielded 331 articles, with 17 meeting inclusion criteria. Diagnostic criteria evolved, with polysomnography and PLMS index ≥5 required since 2003. Also, PLMD diagnosis mandates clinical consequences like insomnia, hypersomnia, and fatigue, excluding comorbidities causing sleep disruption. Prevalence in children is low (0.3%), emphasizing the need for meticulous investigation. Comorbidities, particularly the bidirectional relationship with ADHD, were explored. Challenges in diagnosis and understanding arise from overlapping conditions such as sleep disordered breathing, psychotropic medication, and criteria non-adherence. Despite generally good study quality, weaknesses include sample size justification and biases. The periodic leg movement index shows high sensitivity but low specificity, underscoring strict diagnostic criteria adherence. Diverse metrics for symptoms necessitate standardized approaches. Family history of RLS in children with PLMD suggests unexplored aspects. Treatment, mainly iron supplementation, lacks standardized assessment metrics. The review emphasizes diagnostic and treatment challenges, recommending unbiased studies with precise techniques. Comprehensive research, quantifying PLMS and objectively assessing sleep parameters, is crucial for advancing understanding in pediatric PLMD. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021251406.

The associations between instructional approach, sleep characteristics and adolescent mental health: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with the combination of their instructional approach(es) and their sleep patterns. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Adolescents were recruited through social media outlets in October and November 2020 to complete an online survey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 4442 geographically and racially diverse, community-dwelling students (grades 6-12, 51% female, 36% non-White, 87% high schoolers). MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed items from the PROMIS Pediatric Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety scales. Participants reported their instructional approach(es), bedtimes, and wake times for each day in the past week. Participants were categorized into five combined instructional approach groups. Average sleep opportunity was calculated as the average time between bedtime and waketime. Social jetlag was calculated as the difference between the average sleep midpoint preceding non-scheduled and scheduled days. RESULTS: Emotional distress was elevated in this sample, with a large proportion of adolescents reporting moderate-severe (T-score ≥ 65) levels of depressive symptoms (49%) and anxiety (28%). There were significant differences between instructional approach groups, such that adolescents attending all schooldays in-person reported the lowest depressive symptom and anxiety T-scores (P < .001, ηp2 = .012), but also the shortest sleep opportunity (P < .001, ηp2 = .077) and greatest social jetlag (P < .001, ηp2 = .037) of all groups. Adolescents attending school in person, with sufficient sleep opportunity (≥8-9 hours/night) and limited social jetlag (<2 hours) had significantly lower depressive (ηp2 = .014) and anxiety (ηp2 = .008) T-scores than other adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Prioritizing in-person education and promoting healthy sleep patterns (more sleep opportunity, more consistent sleep schedules) may help bolster adolescent mental health.

Instructional approach, sleep, and perceived academic well-being in adolescents during COVID-19: Evidence from the NESTED study.

OBJECTIVES: At the peak of COVID-19, adolescent life was disrupted as schools adapted their instructional approaches such as online, in-person, or hybrid instruction. We and others have previously commented on how these shifts facilitated longer, later and (more developmentally appropriate) sleep. Here, we report how sleep contributed to associations between remote instruction and broader academic well-being (e.g., cognitive function, school connectedness, and stress). METHODS: Adolescents from all 50 U.S. states (n = 4068) completed online self-report surveys in fall 2020. Instructional approach was operationalized from fully in-person instruction to fully asynchronous online education. Sleep parameters included sleep timing and duration, sleep disturbances, and sleep-related impairments. Perceived academic well-being was defined as cognitive function, school connectedness, and school-related stress. Sleep and perceived academic well-being are examined across instructional approaches, in their association, and in structural models. RESULTS: Sleep and perceived academic well-being differed between hybrid and online instruction groups. Less variable or disturbed sleep was associated both with in-person instruction, and with positive outcomes in cognitive function, school connectedness, and stress domains. Sleep mediated a substantial portion of variance in perceived academic well-being attributable to instructional approach. CONCLUSION: These data highlight the need to protect both healthy sleep and in-person instruction. Appropriate sleep timing and duration, fewer sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairments accounted for a substantial degree of variance in the association between remote instruction on academic outcomes. While many students experienced "lost learning" because of COVID-19, this study joins a broader discussion of ensuring developmentally appropriate school-start times to support both sleep and achievement.

Building a deeper understanding of social relationship health in adolescents with narcolepsy disorder.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Common symptoms for patients with narcolepsy can have a significant impact on social health. As one peak for symptom onset is adolescence, these symptoms impact social relationships during a critical developmental period. Much of the existing literature in this domain has relied on broad questionnaires, with less insight into the nuances of patients' potential social struggles. METHODS: Adolescents (aged 12-17 years) with narcolepsy and their parents individually completed a semistructured interview (n = 14 dyads). Interview transcripts were analyzed using a multistage thematic analysis. RESULTS: An overarching theme was the difficulty adolescents experienced trying to balance narcolepsy symptom management with engaging in social activities in a meaningful way. Narcolepsy affected social relationships in 3 primary domains: mood, physical activities, and driving. Adolescents reported that they were frustrated with feeling as though narcolepsy sometimes defined their social lives. Adolescents and parents expressed a desire for medical providers to better understand their evolving priorities, to validate their social limitations, and to provide more information around the social implications of narcolepsy and its treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Narcolepsy has a significant impact on social relationships in adolescents, one that is not adequately managed in current clinical care models. A routine, structured assessment of social health is a vital first step for providers treating adolescents with narcolepsy. Medical centers and patient organizations can play an important role in facilitating social opportunities for this underserved population. CITATION: Zhou ES, Revette A, Heckler GK, Worhach J, Maski K, Owens JA. Building a deeper understanding of social relationship health in adolescents with narcolepsy disorder. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(3):491-498.

Narcolepsy in the pediatric population.

Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, with or without cataplexy. Associated features include sleep paralysis, hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, and disturbed nocturnal sleep. Narcolepsy is strongly associated with the HLA DQB1*0602 allele, and its symptoms stem from destruction of hypocretin-secreting neurons in the hypothalamus. Recently identified autoantibodies to Tribbles homologue 2 in some patients, as well as cases associated with H1N1 vaccination, support an autoimmune mechanism. There are many challenges in diagnosing and treating pediatric narcolepsy. Caution must also be used in interpreting polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test results in children. HLA testing is nonspecific, and no commercial test exists to measure cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin levels. Neuroimaging has not yet proven useful in primary narcolepsy. Treatment of sleepiness and cataplexy in children requires extrapolating from adult studies. Hopefully, further insights into the pathophysiology of narcolepsy will allow for new therapeutics to manage the symptoms and modify the course of the disease.

Dentistry-based approaches to sleep-disordered breathing, algorithms, and multidisciplinary perspectives.

Sleep disorders affect more than 20 percent of the U.S. population, but less than 7 percent have been medically diagnosed. Dentists are ideally positioned to identify many patients who fall under the grouping of sleep-disordered breathing. This paper presents perspectives on sleep-related issues from various medical specialties with a goal to broaden the dentist's appreciation of this topic and open avenues of communication. Algorithms are proposed to guide dentists following positive screenings for sleep-disordered breathing.

Validation of the Pediatric Narcolepsy Screening Questionnaire (PNSQ): A cross-sectional, observational study.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: This study evaluated psychometric properties of the Pediatric Narcolepsy Screening Questionnaire (PNSQ), developed in response to the difficulty of identifying pediatric narcolepsy. PATIENTS/METHODS: The initial PNSQ was updated following debriefing interviews with parents of children with suspected/diagnosed narcolepsy. Subsequently, newly recruited caregivers were categorized into groups: clinician-confirmed narcolepsy, other sleep problems (OSP), and no sleep problems (controls). Caregivers completed the 11-item PNSQ assessing narcolepsy symptomatology. PNSQ psychometric properties were evaluated; mean PNSQ Total Score (TS) was compared inter-group using analysis of variance. RESULTS: The analysis population (N = 158) included patients with narcolepsy (n = 49), OSP (n = 55), and controls (n = 54); mean ± SD age was 13.8 ± 2.8, 10.2 ± 4.3, and 10.0 ± 3.8 years, respectively. Inter-item Pearson correlations (range, 0.22-0.75) indicated good construct validity. Principal component analysis confirmed unidimensionality. Item discriminative power was high for narcolepsy vs control (range, 0.693-0.936) and lower for narcolepsy vs OSP (range, 0.584-0.729). The latent trait was well covered (separation index = 0.868). Item 7 (vivid dreams/nightmares), having low discriminative power and specificity, was removed. Cronbach's alpha (final PNSQ) indicated high internal consistency reliability (raw alpha = 0.88). Mean ± SD PNSQ TS (range, 0-50) in the narcolepsy, OSP, and control groups were 34.98 ± 7.98, 25.20 ± 9.43, and 9.54 ± 9.38, respectively (nominal P < 0.0001). Classification by PNSQ TS was defined: PNSQ+ (likely narcolepsy, TS ≥ 29), PNSQ 0 (likely OSP, TS 19-28), and PNSQ- (narcolepsy unlikely, TS ≤ 18); patients with narcolepsy were classified as PNSQ+ (79.6%), PNSQ 0 (18.4%), and PNSQ- (2.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The PNSQ demonstrated good psychometric properties and excellent performance discriminating narcolepsy, OSP, and control groups.

Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.

OBJECTIVE: Commonly held beliefs about sleep unsupported by scientific evidence (ie, myths) among adolescents and their parents/caregivers may adversely influence sleep-related attitudes and behaviors among adolescents. Thus, identifying such myths with the goal of developing effective evidence-based counter-messages has the potential to improve sleep health in adolescents. METHOD: We identified myths with a panel of adolescent sleep health experts (n = 12) using the Delphi method in three sequential steps: (1) focus groups; (2) online discussion; and (3) closed-ended questionnaires with which the experts rated myths on: (1) falseness and (2) public health significance using 5-point Likert scales ranging from 1 (not at all false/important for public health) to 5 (extremely false/important for public health). Next, we explored the prevalence of the myths among a demographically diverse sample of parents/caregivers of adolescents in the United States. Finally, we report the counterevidence to refute each myth. RESULTS: Ten myths about adolescent sleep were identified by the experts using the Delphi method. The most prevalent myths were the beliefs that (1) "Going to bed and waking up late on the weekends is no big deal for adolescents, as long as they get enough sleep during that time," reported by 74% of parents/caregivers; (2) "If school starts later, adolescents will stay up that much later," reported by 69% of parents/caregivers; and (3) "Melatonin supplements are safe for adolescents because they are natural," reported by 66% of parents/caregivers. CONCLUSION: Parents/caregivers have the potential to serve as sleep health advocates for their adolescent and support their adolescent's sleep health behaviors. Our study found that many parents/caregivers endorse myths about adolescent sleep that may hinder their ability to support their adolescent's sleep health. Future research may explore methods for promoting evidence-based beliefs about adolescent sleep among parents/caregivers.

Effect of changes in children's bedtime and sleep period on targeted eating behaviors and timing of caloric intake.

Short sleep is associated with obesity risk. Experimental studies with adults and observational studies with children demonstrate that changes in eating, including increased caloric intake from energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages as well as increased caloric intake in the evening, may partially account for this increased risk. We therefore examined whether experimental changes in children's sleep period lead to changes in reported caloric intake from energy-dense snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, and in the evening. Thirty-seven children, 8-11 years old, completed a three-week study that used a within-subject randomized cross-over design. Children slept their typical amount for one week and were subsequently randomized to either increase or decrease their typical amount by 1.5 h/night for one week; the alternate schedule was completed during the third week of the study, creating a 3-h time in bed difference between the increase and decrease conditions. Sleep was monitored with actigraphy, and dietary intake was assessed with 24-hour dietary recalls. Participants reported consuming 35 kcal per day more from sugar-sweetened beverages during the decrease sleep than the increase sleep condition, p = .033. There were no reported differences between conditions from energy-dense snack foods. Although no differences in reported intake were observed earlier in the day, from 2000 h (8:00 PM) and later, children reported consuming 132 kcal more during the decrease sleep condition than the increase condition, p < 0.001. Shortened sleep achieved by delaying bedtimes led to increased caloric intake in the evening and from sugar-sweetened beverages. Clinical Trials Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01030107.

Adolescent sleep health and school start times: Setting the research agenda for California and beyond. A research summit summary.

In fall 2019, California passed and signed into law SB328, the first US statewide legislation explicitly designed to protect adolescent sleep health by requiring most California public school districts to start no earlier than 8:00 AM for middle schools and 8:30 AM for high schools. Recognizing the unique opportunity presented by the bill's 3-year implementation period, a group of experts in adolescent sleep and school start times held a virtual summit on January 22-23, 2021 to (1) summarize the research on adolescent sleep and school start time change; (2) develop recommendations for relevant, refined, and innovative research areas and research questions; (3) provide input regarding research design, methodology, and implementation; and (4) offer a forum for networking, exchanging ideas, and establishing interdisciplinary research collaborations. Participants represented a multidisciplinary range of academic backgrounds including sleep and circadian biology, neuroscience, education, medicine, public health, mental health, safety, public policy, economics, implementation science, criminology, diversity studies, and science communication. This paper summarizes summit presentations regarding current knowledge on adolescent sleep health and school start times and key research recommendations from small group workshops on topics including research design and tools, methodological issues, sleep health disparities, logistical challenges in conducting school-based research, public-health impact, and novel and expanded approaches to research.

Update in pediatric sleep medicine.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize the most important recent scientific developments in the field of clinical pediatric sleep medicine, specifically as relates to sleep disorders and sleep in special pediatric populations. RECENT FINDINGS: The major themes covered in this review include sleep-disordered breathing; narcolepsy; restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder; insomnia; sleep in children with medical conditions; and sleep in children with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. SUMMARY: An expanded understanding of the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical evaluation methods, sequelae, and empirically supported treatment options of common pediatric sleep disorders, especially in high-risk populations, is key to a rational approach to diagnosis and management of these children in clinical settings.

Restless sleep in children: A systematic review.

This systematic review assessed the prevalence of restless sleep in children, documented the association of restless sleep with other conditions, and summarized the existing evidence regarding whether restless sleep should be considered a distinct sleep disorder. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was performed using the broad search term "restless sleep" in all fields. Of the 266 articles retrieved, 107 were retained for inclusion in this review. The majority (n = 93) were observational studies. The studies were grouped under several pathologic/condition categories: sleep-disordered breathing (n = 19); adenotonsillectomy (n = 7); respiratory disorders, otitis media, and smoke exposure (n = 12); sleep-related movement disorders and restless sleep disorder (n = 11); neurologic or psychiatric disorders (n = 7); Down syndrome/other neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 10); sleep-related bruxism and other sleep disorders (n = 7); and restless sleep in the general population/mixed clinical samples (n = 18). A high prevalence of restless sleep was found in children with many of these underlying conditions, likely related to associated inherent sleep disruption and frequent awakenings (e.g., apnea and periodic limb movements), pain, sleep instability, and caregiver perception. The majority of studies identified restless sleep as reported by the caregiver, only 34 studies attempted to define restless sleep further. Four studies provided supportive evidence for designating restless sleep as an independent sleep disorder, restless sleep disorder (RSD). This review highlights the fact that the prevalence, etiology and sequelae (including daytime impairments) of restless sleep in children are important topics deserving of further research and that clinical definitions based on empirical evidence need to be developed. The designation of "primary" versus "secondary" restless sleep may be a useful construct, especially with regard to developing clinical trials and treatment algorithms.