Excessive daytime sleepiness in childhood and adolescence

Disorders leading to daytime sleepiness in childhood and adolescence

• if a child/adolescent has insufficient night sleep and enhanced night-time arousal
  • secondary to inadequate sleep hygiene:
    • physical exercise late at night
    • caffeine misuse
    • misuse of alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit substances
• if a child/adolescent has a primary central nervous system disorder
  • delayed sleep phase syndrome
  • idiopathic hypersomnia
  • periodic hypersomnia
  • narcolepsy—cataplexy, idiopathic
  • narcolepsy secondary to neoplasms, trauma, inflammatory processes involving the dorsolateral hypothalamus
  • Restless legs syndrome
• if a child/adolescent has sleep related breathing disturbance
  • obstructive hypoventilation, primary or secondary to Down's syndrome, obesity, hypothyroidism, or myopathies like myotonic dystrophy
• secondary to drugs
  • prescription: benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antiepileptic drugs
  • non-prescription: diphenhydramine, chlorpheneramine, illicit substances
• secondary to a psychiatric disorder
  • depression

Reference:

1. Kotagal S, Pianosi P. Sleep disorders in children and adolescents. BMJ 2006;332:828-32