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Sleep Breath 2001; 05(2): 063-070
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-15796
ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Copyright © 2001 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Snoring and Sleep Disturbance Among Children from an Orthodontic Setting

Suchitra Nelson1 , Randall Kulnis2
  • 1Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2Branch Dental Clinic, Department of Orthodontics, Sigonella, Italy
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Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Studies of snoring and sleep disturbance in the United States have been predominately in clinic-based settings of children suspected to have obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to utilize an orthodontic setting in which healthy children were seen regularly to study the prevalence of snoring and sleep disturbance among 405 children aged 6 to 17 years of age and to identify specific sleep behavior patterns associated with the increased odds of snoring. A sleep behavior questionnaire was administered to the child's parent or guardian. The questionnaire responses were analyzed using χ2 analysis, and factor analysis was used to extract meaningful domains. The selected domains were used later in a logistic model to calculate the odds of snoring. The results indicated that 17% of the children habitually snored. The odds of snoring were approximately three times greater among mouth breathers and children who slept with their head tipped back and 1.5 times greater among those with morning headaches and frequent coughs and colds. In conclusion, snorers have significantly more sleep behavior problems than do nonsnorers.

KEYWORD

Children - snoring - sleep behavior - prevalence

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