Sleep in children is the study of how sleep develops, is regulated, and affects health across infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Sleep is essential for physical growth, neurocognitive development, emotional regulation, learning, and metabolic health, and its requirements change with age in both duration and timing…
Sleep in children is the study of how sleep develops, is regulated, and affects health across infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Sleep is essential for physical growth, neurocognitive development, emotional regulation, learning, and metabolic health, and its requirements change with age in both duration and timing. This area examines normal sleep architecture and circadian rhythm in the young, the measurement of sleep and movement, and the consequences of insufficient or disrupted sleep for behaviour, academic performance, and physical wellbeing. Methodologies span polysomnography, the reference standard for characterising sleep stages and disorders, and accessible activity-monitoring devices increasingly used to assess sleep patterns and nocturnal movement in paediatric populations. Research addresses how routines, meal timing, weekends, and clock changes influence children's sleep, and how interventions targeting habits can improve circadian alignment and daytime functioning. Particular attention is given to sleep in children with neurodevelopmental and genetic conditions, including disrupted patterns in autism, and to paediatric sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnoea, the latter notably prevalent in conditions like Down syndrome. Links between poor sleep and outcomes such as overweight further underscore its clinical importance. By clarifying the determinants and effects of sleep in the young, this field informs guidance on healthy sleep habits, the recognition of sleep disorders, and the design of interventions that support development.
7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 7 articles above have been cited 75 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Sleep and Children, linking to each citing work.