Sleep-disturbed children are more severely depressed and have more depressive symptoms and comorbid anxiety disorders compared with children without sleep disturbance. Such were the findings of a new study published in the January 1, 2007 issue of SLEEP.

If you are a parent of a sleep-disturbed child, you have to first consult your child's pediatrician which will then refer you to a sleep specialist for comprehensive testing and treatment, so as to ensure the most effective care.

According to the study's lead author, Xianchen Liu, MD, PhD, and colleagues of the University of Pittsburgh:

"We know that depression is associated with sleep problems. But what this study shows is that, in depressed youths, not all sleep problems are the same.

Insomnia is the most common problem, but having a combination of insomnia and sleepiness is 'double trouble'. Youths having both of these had more severe depression than youths with just one sleep problem.

This means that we should carefully ask depressed youths about the specific type of sleep problem they're having. It may also mean that we should think about different treatments to specifically target an individual's sleep problem."

Please note that (according to experts) grammar school-aged children get between 10-11 hours of sleep a night to achieve good health and optimum performance, while children in pre-school should sleep between 11-13 hours a night.

If you think your child maybe sleep-disturbed or has been diagnosed with the condition, you may want to check out this website maintained by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) - called SleepEducation.com - which provides information about the various sleep disorders that exist, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep and sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.

Read the full report here and article abstract here.