Ricerc@Sapienza

Migraine and sleep disorders are common and often burdensome chronic conditions with a high prevalence in the general population, and with considerable socio-economic impact and costs. The existence of a relationship between migraine and sleep disorders has been recognized from centuries by clinicians and epidemiological studies. Nevertheless, the exact nature of this association, the underlying mechanisms and interactions are complex and not completely understood.

Objectives: To identify different profiles of pediatric insomnia, based on the most frequent clinical presentations (nocturnal awakenings, difficulty in falling asleep, nocturnal restlessness, early morning awakenings). Study design: A structured parent interview was conducted in 338 children (mean age 21.29 months, SD 10.56) referred by pediatricians because of insomnia resistant to behavioral approaches and common drug treatments. The aim was to assess the characteristics of insomnia in children, together with family sleep-related history.

Executive functions (EFs) in children with insomnia have not been sufficiently assessed in the literature. This study aimed to describe sleep patterns and habits and EF abilities in preschool children with insomnia, compared to healthy control patients, and to evaluate the relationships between sleep patterns and EFs.

A group of children with "restless sleep" who do not fit the criteria for any other sleep disorder but with daytime impairment are studied to identify restless sleep disorder (RSD) clinically and polysomnographically and to differentiate it from other sleep disorders of childhood.

Background: Sleep disturbances, in particular insomnia, represent a common problem in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). Currently, there are no approved medications for insomnia in children by the US Food and Drug Administration or European Medicines Agency and therefore they are prescribed off-label. We critically reviewed pediatric literature on drugs as well as nonpharmacological (behavioral) interventions used for sleep disturbances in children with NDDs.

Introduction: Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Without appropriate treatment, sleep disorders can become chronic and last for many years. However, there are no sleep medications approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and only one has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for pediatric insomnia; thus, most medications are prescribed off-label.

In this study, we used structural equation modeling to investigate the interplay among Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), and sleep problems. Three hundred undergraduate students completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index. 68% and 40% of the students reported poor sleep quality or sub-threshold insomnia problems, respectively.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is involved in nightly emotional processing; therefore, its disruption might be associated with an impaired ability of emotional regulation during daytime. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of emotional dysregulation in insomnia patients and to test its correlation with REM sleep features. Forty-six subjects (23 insomnia patients and 23 healthy controls) were enrolled.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously affected the whole of
Italy. The extreme virulence and the speed of propagation resulted in restrictions and
home confinement. This change was immediately perceived by people who found
themselves exposed to feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, stress, and a drastic change
in the diurnal but above all nocturnal lifestyle. For these reasons, we aimed to study
the quality of sleep and its connection to distress levels and to evaluate how lifestyle