The results of a study in the Journal of Pediatrics suggest that there is an association between sleep difficulties and mental problems in children.

Dr. Sarah Blunden, of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woodville, South Australia, and colleagues compared neuropsychological and psychosocial function in 33 children with varying levels of sleep disturbance.

The children included 11 snorers, 13 with behavioral sleep problems, 9 with both conditions, and 31 without sleep problems.

A behavioral sleep problem involves difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep. The children underwent a battery of psychological and psychosocial assessments.

Snorers had lower intelligence and attention scores compared with other children.

Children with behavioral sleep problems had reduced social competency, increased problematic behavior, and reduced memory scores compared with other kids.

Children with a combination of snoring and behavioral sleep problems reported more deficits than children in all other groups.

“Although it is possible that children with problematic behavior simply have poorer sleep, we believe it is likely that sleep disruption per se is important in behavioral regulation,” Blunden’s team writes.

Why snoring is associated with some deficits and behavioral sleep problems with others is unclear. The authors suggest that factors specific to snoring, such as a drop in oxygen levels, which are not present in behavioral sleep problems may explain the differences seen.

SOURCE: Journal of Pediatrics, June 2005.