Sleep disorders and emotional-behavioral problems in children

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 3 Sayı: 3, 85 - 95, 28.12.2025

Neslişah Gür Kurçaloğlu

Öz

Objective: Sleep disorders are common clinical conditions in childhood that negatively affect both mental and physical development. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep disorders and emotional and behavioural difficulties in children.
Method: The study included patients aged 11–16 who presented with any complaint to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Ordu University Training and Research Hospital. Demographic data of the participants were recorded. Emotional and behavioural problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), while sleep disorders were evaluated using the Turkish version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). The relationship between sleep disorders and demographic characteristics, as well as emotional and behavioural difficulties, were examined.
Results: A total of 346 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 13.51 ± 1.82 years, and 57.2% (n = 198) of the participants were female. A positive correlation was found between the total scores of SDSC and SDQ (p < 0.01, r = 0.27). Emotional problems were associated with disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, arousal disorders, sleep–wake transition disorders, and excessive somnolence. Behavioural problems were found to be associated with sleep-disordered breathing, arousal disorders, sleep–wake transition disorders, and excessive somnolence. Arousal disorders were also associated with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity. However, no significant relationship was found between sleep disorders and peer relationship problems.
Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that sleep disorders in children are associated with emotional and behavioural problems. Given the high prevalence of sleep disorders in children presenting with psychological symptoms, it is recommended that sleep issues be routinely evaluated in this population. Future prospective studies involving younger children and adolescents and employing current diagnostic criteria to assess a broader range of psychopathologies are needed to further clarify the relationship between sleep disorders and psychological problems.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Sleep disorders , emotional problems , behavioral problems , ADHD

Çocuklarda uyku bozuklukları ve duygusal-davranışsal sorunlar

Öz

Giriş
Uyku bozuklukları çocukluk çağında sık görülen, ruhsal ve fiziksel gelişim üzerine olumsuz etkileri olan klinik tablolardır. Bu çalışmada çocuklarda duygusal ve davranışsal güçlüklerle uyku bozuklukları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi hedeflenmiştir.

Materyal ve metot
Araştırmaya Ordu Üniversitesi Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Çocuk Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Polikliniği’ne herhangi bir şikayetle başvuran yaşları 11-16 arasında değişen hastalar dahil edilmiştir. Hastaların demografik verileri kaydedilmiştir. Duygusal ve davranışsal sorunlar Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) ile uyku bozuklukları ise Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children’nın Türkçe formu (SDSC-TF) ile değerlendirilmiştir. Uyku bozuklukları ile demografik veriler ve duygusal-davranışsal güçlükler arasındaki ilişki araştırılmıştır.

Bulgular
Çalışmaya toplam 346 hasta dahil edilmiştir. Ortalama yaş 13.51 ± 1.82 idi. Katılımcıların %57.2’si (198) kızdı. TV-SDSC toplam skoru ile SDQ toplam skoru arasında pozitif yönlü korelasyon bulunmuştur (p < 0.01, r=0,27). Duygusal sorunlar; uyku başlatma ve sürdürme bozuklukları, uykudan uyanma bozuklukları, uyku uyanıklık geçişi bozuklukları ve aşırı uykululuk bozuklukları ile ilişkili bulunmuştur. Davranışsal sorunlar ise uykuda solunum bozuklukları, uykudan uyanma bozuklukları, uyku uyanıklık geçiş bozuklukları ve aşırı uykululuk bozuklukları ile ilişkili olduğu gösterilmiştir. Dikkat eksikliği ve hiperaktivite belirtileriyle ise uykudan uyanma bozuklukları ilişkili bulunmuştur. Akran ilişkilerinde yaşanan güçlüklerle uyku bozuklukları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunamamıştır.
Sonuç
Çalışmanın sonuçlarına göre çocuklarda uyku bozuklukları ile duygusal davranışsal sorunların ilişkili olduğu gösterildi. Ruhsal semptomları olan çocuklarda uyku bozukluklarının sık olması nedeniyle, ruhsal sorunlarla gelen çocuklarda uyku sorunlarının rutin olarak değerlendirilmesi gerektiği kanaatine varılmıştır. Gelecekte, küçük yaş çocuk ve gençleri dahil eden, güncel tanı kriterleriyle uyku bozuklukları ve daha geniş bir yelpazede psikopatolojileri değerlendiren prospektif çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. Uyku bozuklukları ve psikopatolojiler arasındaki ilişkiyi değerlendiren, küçük çocuk ve gençleri dahil eden prospektif çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Uyku Bozuklukları , duygusal problemler , davranışsal problemler , DEHB

Kaynakça

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