Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Background and Objectives:Sleep pattern may changes over the lifetime,but the quantity and quality of sleep always depend on individual factors, such as age, gender, and psychological and environmental factors. However, in a child, sleep is as important as growth and development. This study aimed to assess sleep disorders in4-6 years old children referred to health centers of ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences of Tehran.

Methods:This study was carried out as adescriptive cross-sectional study on 400 children referred to health centers of ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences of Tehran, 2013. Sampling wasperformed by multi-stage methodandinterviewwith mothers. To assess the sleep disorders,Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) consisting of 5 subscales was used. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics andChi-square test. The significance level was considered p<0.05.

Results:The mean age of children was 64.27±9.3 months. Sleep habits disorders were associated with child’s age, body mass index (BMI), and marital adjustment; sleep behavior disorders were associated with child’s age, BMI, father’s drug abuse, and marital adjustment;Night-waking disorders were associated with BMI; and morning-waking disorders were associated with BMI and marital adjustment.

Conclusion:The results of this study revealed that sleep disturbances threaten growth and development of children. Mental, familial, and cultural problems influencesleep quality. Therefore, assessment of sleep disorders in children should be considered in the differential diagnosis of their health