“Sleep takes up about one-fourth to two-thirds of the lives of young children, but how we recognize, define and treat sleep disorders in children is still a process that we have not mastered,” write Michelle Cao, D.O., and Christian Guilleminault, M.D., Biol.D., in an editorial in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on sleep-related problems in children.

The issue contains a number of articles focusing on the later implications of childhood sleep difficulties, Drs. Cao and Guilleminault note. Articles in the issue focus on:

• Effects of parents’ behaviors on children’s sleep

• Weekend vs. weeknight bedtimes
• Sleep problems in children with ADHD
• The relationship between sleep duration and childhood obesity
• Long-term mental health effects of not sleeping enough
• Sleep-disordered breathing and behavior

“A recurring theme from these articles focuses on early childhood sleep problems and later consequences of emotional and behavioral changes in adolescent and teenage years to adulthood,” Drs. Cao and Guilleminault write. “With this in mind, we need to do a better job of recognizing, defining and treating sleep disorders in children. One message that we can take from these studies is clear: more attention should be given to sleep and sleep-related disorders.”