[Sleep disorders in visually handicapped children in infancy and preschool age].

A parents' questionnaire was used to assess sleep disorders (night waking, settling difficulties) in 265 visually impaired and 67 nondisabled 10- to 72-month-olds. Results showed that multiply handicapped blind children (n = 57), blind children with no additional impairments (n = 56) and multiply handicapped partially sighted children (n = 71) more frequently had difficulties in getting to sleep (more than once a week) and in sleeping through the night (night waking more than once per week and taking more than 5-10 minutes to get back to sleep) than nonhandicapped children, whereas the frequency of sleep disorders (night waking, settling difficulties) in partially sighted children with no additional neurological or physical impairments (n = 81) did not differ from that of nonhandicapped controls. Blind children, whether they were multiply handicapped or not, exhibited sleep disorders more frequently than partially sighted children. The results indicated relationships between sleep disorders and the regularity of children's daily routines, the activities in the evening before going to bed, and the children's sleeping habits.