The prevalence of restless sleep disorder among a clinical sample of children and adolescents referred to a sleep centre

Abstract

Restless sleep disorder (RSD) is a newly described sleep disorder in children characterized by large body movements and repositioning that lasts all night with at least five body movements per hour and a significant impact on daytime behaviours. The authors have previously identified and described the syndrome and compared the sleep parameters and sleep‐related movements to those in children with restless legs syndrome, normal controls and snorers. The current study is a retrospective review of the sleep diagnosis in 300 consecutive children seen and evaluated in a single sleep disorders centre; 252 children underwent polysomnography, as clinically indicated, to identify the proper diagnosis. The current research estimates the prevalence of RSD in a sleep clinical setting to be 7.7% and compares it to the prevalence of other common sleep disorders in the same setting. Another important addition to the literature is the fact that RSD can coexist with other sleep disorders, such as habitual snoring and parasomnia, without confounding the diagnosis.

Heart rate variability during sleep in children and adolescents with restless sleep disorder: a comparison with restless legs syndrome and normal controls

“…Criteria 1-6 must be met. 3 Exclusion criteria were as follows: age younger than 5 years, use of medications that altered sleep parameters (eg, antihistamines, antidepressants, antiepileptics), presence of comorbid sleep disorder (eg, obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, parasomnias, behavioral insomnia), medical or psychiatric conditions known to affect sleep (uncontrolled eczema, asthma, pain, neurodevelopmental disorders, genetic syndrome, neuromuscular disorders), or use of caffeine.…”

“…1 RSD seems to have a prevalence only slightly lower than that of RLS among children referred for disordered sleep to a specialized center. 3 The nature of sleep disruption in RSD still needs to be clarified, and the ongoing research is focusing on the possible mechanism(s) underlying the night sleep changes typical of this condition and on their similarities/differences with those of other sleep disorders, such as RLS. Children with RLS present with the urge to move the legs usually in the evening or during periods of rest.…”

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

“…33 The prevalence of RLS in children is 2% in the general population and higher in sleep centers (>10%). 22 RLS is underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed partly due to the difficulty to identify the symptoms in young children, special populations (children with neurodevelopmental conditions), and poor understanding of this pathology among general pediatricians. Therefore, it would be important to increase population studies on pediatric RLS, also involving pediatricians and local specialists (who should therefore be properly trained on this topic) and through the use of screening questionnaires for RLS specific to pediatrics.…”

“…Table 2 summarizes the clinical and polysomnographic findings in RSD, RLS, and PLMD. While the prevalence of RSD in the general population is unknown, its prevalence in a sleep center‐referred pediatric population has been estimated to be 7.7% 22 …”

“…While the prevalence of RSD in the general population is unknown, its prevalence in a sleep center-referred pediatric population has been estimated to be 7.7%. 22 Studies have started looking into potential mechanisms that might explain the pathophysiology of RSD. So far, these studies have proposed three potential mechanisms underlying RSD, which include iron deficiency, sleep instability, and sympathetic activation.…”