فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: Sleep patterns may change over a person’s lifetime; however, the quantity and quality of sleep always depend on individualfactors such as age, sex, and psychological and environmental factors. In children, sleep is as important as development.Quantitative sleep problems related to sleep onset and qualitative sleep disorders such as frequent awakenings may lead to insufficientsleep.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sleep disorders among children 4 - 6 years old attending the health centersof Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2013.Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 400 children selected using a multistage sampling method. Data werecollected by interviews. The questionnaire included two sections: a demographic section with questions about the demographiccharacteristics of the children and parents and a children’s sleep habit questionnaire (CSHQ). Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 anddifferent statistical tests were used (P < 0.05).Results: The mean age of the children was 64.279.3 months. The prevalence of sleep disorders was 36.25%. Sleep disorders weresignificantly associated with age, height, body mass index, residence of children, father’s occupation, mother’s diseases, father’sdrug abuse, and parents’ marital status (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Sleep disorders in children threaten growth and development, and are dangerous for their health. Sleep disordersshould be considered in the differential diagnosis of children’s learning and behavioral problems.