Prevalence and predictors of significant sleep disturbances in children undergoing ambulatory tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy

Objective To evaluate children's sleep patterns before and afterambulatory surgery and to identify predictors of sleep decrementsfollowing surgery. Methods Participants were 55, 6- to 12-year-oldchildren undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Sleep wasassessed using actigraphy for 5 nights prior to and 5 nightsfollowing surgery. Parent state and trait anxiety, and childperioperative anxiety and temperament were assessed. Data onpostoperative pain and use of analgesics were collected. ResultsChildren had significantly less efficient sleep following surgerythan before surgery. Approximately one-third of children demonstratedclinically significant decrements in sleep efficiency. Discriminantfunction analysis indicated less sociable and more anxious childrenwere more likely to experience these sleep decrements, as werechildren who experienced greater pain in the postoperative period.Conclusion Children's sleep is an important consideration inrecovery from surgery and this article takes a first step towardidentifying predictors of the development of clinically significantsleep disruptions following surgery.