Consensus diagnostic criteria for a newly defined pediatric sleep disorder: restless sleep disorder (RSD)

Restless sleep disorder, restless legs syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder—Sleep in motion!

“…Source: Adapted from DelRosso et al 18 sleep instability, especially in slow-wave sleep. Another interesting finding was the fact that movements in children with RSD occurred mainly during NCAP periods, interrupting them, confirming that the large muscle group movements seen in children with RSD during sleep are associated with significant sleep disruption.…”

“…The International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) formed a task force composed of 10 sleep experts to review the literature and evaluate the evidence in support of RSD. Their work was summarized in the publication of a consensus diagnostic criteria for RSD 18 . Based on the medical literature and expert opinion, the task force established eight essential criteria for the diagnosis of RSD (Table 1), 18 which require a video‐polysomnogram (video‐PSG) performed in agreement with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Scoring Manual standards recommending at least one video frame per second, 20 and showing evidence of at least five body movements per hour during sleep 21 .…”

“…12,15,17 Only recently, restless sleep has been identified as a primary sleep disorder that affects children's quality of sleep and daytime behavior; this newly identified pediatric sleep disorder is called the restless sleep disorder (RSD). 18 In this article, we will discuss these three main sleep-related movement disorders (SRMDs): RSD, RLS, PLMS disorder (PLMD), and will emphasize the rapidly evolving areas of research in pediatric SRMD, the new consensus criteria, and the recommendations for future research.…”

“…One of the most recent evidence of the rapidly evolving field of pediatric sleep is the recognition of RSD as a new pediatric disorder. 18 Children with RSD typically present for evaluation with a parental complaint of restless sleep characterized by frequent movements in their sleep, the persistence of movements through the night, and importantly daytime symptoms of fatigue, sleepiness, or behavioral problems. When compared to children with RLS or normal controls, children with RSD do not show difficulty falling asleep, symptoms of RLS, or nocturnal awakenings.…”

“…For instance, restless sleep was a complaint seen in up to 80% of children with restless legs syndrome (RLS), 11–16 or children with the elevated index of periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) 12,15,17 . Only recently, restless sleep has been identified as a primary sleep disorder that affects children's quality of sleep and daytime behavior; this newly identified pediatric sleep disorder is called the restless sleep disorder (RSD) 18 …”