Symptoms of sleep disorders and objective academic performance

Objective: We aimed to compare the academic performance of children with and without symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD). Methods: We distributed 5400 questionnaires (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children [SDSC], Brazilian version) to 7- to 10-year-old children at public elementary schools in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We analyzed the academic grades of Portuguese (Port) and Mathematics (Math) in 2384 children (1224 girls; 51%). Grades were assigned on a scale of 0-10 and five was considered a passing grade. Children with symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD) and symptoms of sleep-breathing disorders (SSBD) were compared to children with no symptoms of SSD (no-SSD). Results: Mean Port (6.6 +/- 2.2) and Math (6.3 +/- 2.2) grades were lower in children with SSD or sleep-breathing disorders (SBD) than those among children with no-SSD (Port, 7.1 +/- 2.1 and Math, 7.1 +/- 2.1; P < .05). Boys with SSD or SSBD had lower grades (Port, 6.4 +/- 2.2 and Math, 6.1 +/- 2.2) than girls (Port, 6.9 +/- 2.2 and Math, 6.5 +/- 2.2; P < .05). There were more children with failing Port grades with SSD or SSBD (13%) than those among children with no-SSD (9%; P < .05). Regarding Math, 25.4% of SSD or SSBD children had failing grades vs. 8.4% of children with no-SSD (P < .05). Conclusion: In our sample, children with SSD particularly SBD were at increased risk for poor academic performance in Math and Port. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.