Insomnia is estimated to be present in 50 to 80% of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, Amy Licis, MD, MSCI, FAASM, highlighted during a presentation on Thursday, October 5, at the 52nd Annual Child Neurology Society Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The presentation was part of a larger seminar panel, entitled “Sleep in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders,” which also featured lectures from Marcos Frank, PhD, on sleep development in pre-clinical models; Robert Rudock, MD, MBA, on distinguishing between seizures and parasomnias; and Anne Morse, DO, FAASM, on comprehensive, patient-directed care when treating sleep issues.

“In particular, I wanted to have a discussion about sleep in children with neurodevelopmental disorders because it’s so prevalent in the patient population,” Dr. Licis told Neurology Learning Network when asked about why she wanted to organize this particular panel for CNS 2023. “It’s something that we see in clinic routinely and something I thought would be helpful for neurologists to discuss.”  

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While the insomnia statistic is striking, it reflects a larger pattern of sleep disorders that are often part and parcel of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. “Having a sleep issue is common, but not normal,” Dr. Morse emphasized during her lecture as she encouraged attendees to expand their scope of focus beyond insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea to account for the 70 sleep disorder classifications outlined in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders – Third Edition.

The session, steeped equally in research as well as practical clinical applications, also highlighted the many unknowns that persist surrounding the relationship between sleep and neurodevelopmental disorders. Still, the primary takeaway was clear: neurologic clinicians should incorporate more sleep disorder screenings when caring for pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental disorders.

As for other practical takeaways, Dr. Licis hopes that attendees absorbed the complex nature of sleep in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. “There are many reasons that [pediatric patients] have poor-quality sleep, biological reasons,” she said.

“It can be helpful, impactful for their health and quality of life to address sleep.”

Reference

Frank M, Licis A, Morse A, Rudock R. Sleep in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Presented at: Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting; October 5 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.