The Complex Association between Sleep Quality, Psychological Wellbeing, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood

During child development, the psychophysiological state is influenced by factors such as family routine, school experiences, stressful life events, or, in general, the environmental context in which the child grows up. Recently, the results of several studies have shown that factors mainly related to lifestyle, such as sleep quality or nutrition, can strongly influence children’s psychological well-being. Epidemiological studies suggest that up to 25% of children under five suffer from sleep disorders, while after six years of age, this percentage progressively decreases to 10–12%. The most frequent sleep disorders are insomnia (20–30%), parasomnia or NREM sleep arousal disorders (25%), circadian rhythm sleep–wake disorders (7%), breathing-related sleep disorders (2–3%), sleep-related movement disorders (1–2%), and hypersomnolence disorders (0.01–0.20%) [1]. Sleep disorders are caused by multiple factors such as genetics, maternal diseases such as depression, attachment disorders, bad sleep hygiene, bad eating habits, and family-related problems. Sleep problems have a significant impact on children’s daily life and well-being. They can provoke daytime sleepiness, inattention, decreased memory, poor impulse control, behavioral problems, poor academic performance and learning problems, obesity, diabetes, an increased risk of developing ADHD, oppositional defiant disorders, depressive disorders, and during adolescence, substance abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation [2].