Sleep problems in preschool and school aged rural Indian children.

We assessed 513 children (2-6 y = 252; 7-12 y = 261) who visited the pediatric outpatient of a rural medical college hospital, for sleep problems using BEARS tool. Sleep problems detected in the BEARS domains for preschool (2-6 years, n=252) and school children (7-12 years, n=261) were as follows: bedtime problems (33.3%vs 14.9% P< 0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (32.5%vs 1.9% P<0.001), awakening during night (25%vs 11.87% P< 0.001), regularity and duration of sleep (19.84% vs 4.98% P< 0.001), and sleep disordered breathing (4.8% vs 5% , P=0.1). We conclude that sleep problems are common among rural Indian children and should be routinely screened for during health visits.