Sleep

Sleep

Sleep-related difficulties are very common in CdLS and can begin as early as infancy (¹³⁵). Difficulties can include insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep), apnoea (breathing temporarily stops during sleep), daytime drowsiness and frequent daytime napping (⁹⁰,¹³³,¹³⁴,¹³⁵,¹³⁶).

Approximately 60% of individuals with CdLS are affected by insomnia and some affected individuals are reported to go for several days without sleep (¹³⁵). Snoring is also fairly common in CdLS and can lead to daytime drowsiness (¹³⁴,¹³⁶). Sleep-related difficulties in individuals with CdLS can have serious consequences. Behavioural sleep interventions and melatonin can be helpful in treating sleep problems in CdLS (R49). Sleep-related difficulties are less common in adults with CdLS. Research suggests that sleep difficulties spontaneously improve over time.