Sleep Disorders Increase Risk for High Health Care Use in Children With Chronic Illness

FRIDAY, April 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Sleep disorders are associated with an increased risk for heightened health care utilization (HU) in children with chronic medical conditions, according to a study published online April 1 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Pranshu A. Adavadkar, M.D., from University of Illinois Children”s Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues used Medicaid claims data to identify 16,325 children enrolled in the Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids project. Health care utilization tied to individual sleep disorders was assessed in children with chronic medical conditions.

The researchers found that children with chronic medical conditions and any sleep disorder had nearly doubled odds of being in an increased HU group (defined as at least three hospitalizations or at least four emergency department visits in 12 months) versus children without a sleep disorder (odds ratio [OR], 1.83). The risk for being in the high HU group varied across sleep disorders, with sleep-disordered breathing (OR, 1.51), insomnia (OR, 1.46), and circadian rhythm sleep disorder (OR, 2.45) all tied to increased risk. Classification in the high HU group was also seen among children of younger age and those who were White.

“These findings indicate the need for careful evaluation and management of sleep disorders in this high-risk cohort,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text