Abstract:
The objective of this investigation is to determine the characteristics and patterns of
sleep in normal Thai children aged between 0-6 years in Thailand. Twenty-seven children
were selected from 135 children in Bangkok and the central part of Thailand, who parents
had responded to questionnaires and recorded their sleep patterns by Sleep Log. These
children also met inclusion criteria, and had normal development by DENVER II screening
assessment. The selected subjects were studied for two consecutive nights by 8 channel
polysomnographic recording with Sleep IT.
On average Thai children age 0-3, and 3-6 years a sleep total of 12 hours and 49
minutes per day, and 10 hours per day, respectively. This is almost 2 hours less than the mean
values of the total sleep time 14 – 16 hours per day in 0 – 3 years old and 11 -13 hours per
day in 3 to 6 years old children reported in various journals and quoted in many textbooks on
sleep. The average percentages of REM-sleep in the total sleep time are 14.08% and 14.17%
during the night time sleep and 14.64% and 7.75% during the day time sleep respectively for
0-3 and 3-6 years respectively. These values are between 20 to 25% less than previous
reports. The stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 of N-REM sleep did not significantly differ during day-time
and night-time sleep or between 0-3 and 3-6 years old groups. Both groups of children slept
with approximately 80% Sleep Efficiency index. The lower total sleep time and percentage of
REM-sleep might be attributed to change in lifestyles in Thai families. Parents now also sleep
less because of disturbances from lighting, television, electronic and computer games,
interfering noises, air particle pollution and other environmental factors.
In conclusion, this investigation found that the average total sleep times for 0-3 and
3-6 years old Thai children were significantly lower than previous studies suggest. This trend
of reduction in sleep during early child development (ECD) may have significant impacts on
their brain development, cognitive and memory functions, personality and adjustment, and
health status in later life. It is important that parents and child care givers are aware of the
impacts of good sleep on early child development