Sleep-wake schedules in preschool children who snore.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare sleep-wake schedules between snoring and nonsnoring preschool age children.

Methods: Daytime and nighttime sleep duration, daytime and nighttime symptoms were assessed in 34 children at preschool age who snore (5.38+/-1.21 years) and in 66 age- and sex-matched nonsnorers (5.67+/-1.12 years). The snoring group consisted of children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) scores <+3.5 and >-1, the nonsnoring group with OSA score <-1.

Results: Children who snore differ from the nonsnorers in daytime sleep duration (51.62+/-28.9 minutes vs. 10.70+/-20.2 minutes; p<0.001), but not in nighttime sleep (10.97+/-0.52 hours vs. 9.83+/-1.34 hours; p>0.05). The percentage of children with daytime napping was higher in the snoring group than in the nonsnorers (47.1% vs. 9.1%; p<0.00004), and parents-reported behavioral problems were more frequent in children who snore (41.2% vs. 19.7%; p<0.02). Multivariate odds ratios, including variables for nighttime (sleep apnea) and daytime symptoms (daytime napping and oral breathing), showed that regular sleep during the day was the most predictive of snoring (OR=6.1; 95%CI 1.76-21.04; p<0.005).

Conclusions: In preschool age children, when the daytime nap begins to disappear, snoring may have an effect on daytime schedule through an increased need for daytime sleep.