Physiological Evolution of Sleep

Abstract

Children are predominantly affected by alterations during normal sleep. Sleep physiology evolves during childhood, especially during the first months and years of life. The recognized age groups for normal sleep are fetal, premature, newborn, infant, preschool, school, and adolescent. These stages have different characteristics, which are important to know in order to achieve a good clinical approach to sleep disorders. Important information about sleep in children includes somnolence, sleep routines, naps, attentional conflicts, hyperactivity, lack of concentration in school, disruptive behavior, and academic performance. There are specific sleep-associated symptoms-which are understood to be normal-to distinguish in children, such as benign childhood myoclonus, somnambulism, sleep paralysis, dreams, and parasomnias.