A Broad Examination of Sleep Issues in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and other conditions

Background: Poor sleep hygiene can lead to serious health consequences, including the development of health disorders and the worsening of chronic illnesses. Poor sleep quality or duration has been linked to neurocognitive changes such as inattention and lower IQ scores. Sleep disorders are especially prevalent among pediatric patients with neurologic and neuropsychiatric conditions; for example, children with epilepsy and ADHD exhibit higher rates of parasomnias, while patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience REM sleep behavior disorder and insomnia more often than the general population. Additionally, co-existing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and epilepsy can worsen seizure control, and uncontrolled epilepsy can be a risk factor for OSA. Sleep disorders may present as daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or insomnia and are thought to worsen underlying neurological disorders. Methods: In this study, we analyze sleep disturbances through questionnaires in 70 pediatric patients aged 5–17 years with MS, epilepsy, or migraine seen at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Pediatric Neurology Clinic. Results: Analysis through SPSS revealed significant differences in sleep disturbances between epilepsy and MS, and between epilepsy and migraine, but not between migraine and MS. Discussion: Our findings support previous studies indicating higher rates of sleep disorders in patients with migraines. Since epilepsy is a non-inflammatory condition, this may contribute to the significant differences observed, though further studies are needed. Limitations: A limitation of our study is the uneven distribution of sample sizes among diagnoses. Conclusion: Overall, sleep disorders are common among children with neurological comorbidities, and assessing sleep history is recommended for improved management.