Sleep is a universal phenomenon in the animal kingdom. The role of sleep in human beings has been studied with increasing interest over the last 60 years. This has resulted in increased awareness of sleep medicine as a separate entity. This review will focus on some of the aspects of paediatric sleep medicine: The physiology and function of sleep, development and maturity of sleep, parasomnias, behavioural aspects of children's sleep, normal values in polysomnography, spectrum of paediatric sleep disorders and its role in future morbidity of the individuals. If sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process ever made. - Dr Alan Rechtshaffen, sleep research pioneer.

Adolescents are marching towards independence with the guidance of parents for a decade. Parents who are usually in their fifth decades tend to expect adolescents to be mature enough to behave like themselves. This places a major demand on the adolescents who are struggling to manage their own physiological shifts and emotional upheavals of the period. Parenting styles, misconceptions, ignorance and anxiety have a significant role to play in altering the sleep patterns of the adolescents. Hence it is mandatory that health care providers should be equipped with the changes expected in sleep patterns during adolescence and must be empowered with skills to convince parents to expect and accept the same.

There is paucity of Indian data evaluating the relationship of hypertension, ventricular dysfunction and carotid artery intima media thickness with Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and its severity. This observational study compared these outcomes amongst subjects with and without OSAHS. Subjects categorized as ‘High Risk’ on Berlin's questionnaire underwent polysomnography. The outcomes were evaluated by history, examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography and carotid artery ultrasonography. There were 48 cases (polysomnography confirmed OSAHS) and 44 controls (without OSAHS). Of the 48 cases, 28 (58%) were classified as severe and 20 (42%) non-severe (mild and moderate). A significant association independent of confounders was documented between OSAHS and: (i) blood pressure and hypertension; (ii) previous myocardial infarction, diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, pulmonary hypertension and arrhythmias; and (iii) carotid artery plaques and intima-media thickness. However, there was no significant impairment of ejection fraction or systolic dysfunction. No statistically significant “dose response” relationship was evident on comparing subjects with severe and non-severe OSAHS.

Sleep a vital biological process is essential for physical & psychological restoration. Owing to their hectic schedules, medical students, in particular, are known to have erratic sleep patterns and suffer from sleep disturbances, fatigue and mood changes. This study was designed to analyze the sleep patterns and to correlate sleep deprivation with incidence of anxiety, depression, daytime sleepiness and performance among 100 students of 1^st year MBBS by means of a validated questionnaire. 44% students reported sleeping >8 Hrs and only 51% were regular in their sleep schedule. Females (32%) were found to follow a more regular sleep schedule compared to males (68%) and reported better performance and lesser level of anxiety and depression in those sleeping for more than 8 hrs. Day scholars had a better and a regular schedule compared to hostellers and they also had significantly (p =0.034) better performance. This study found that an old saying “early to bed and early to rise makes man healthy, wealthy and wise” holds true. Those following regular schedule, sleeping early and rising early in the morning have better academic performance and lower levels of anxiety and depression. This study highlights the prevalence of disturbed sleep patterns as a significant cause of poor performance and mood disturbances in medical students.