Abstract
Sleep quality in children is extremely important for brain development and synaptic plasticity during further life. There is considerable evidence that different sleep stages have a role to play in learning, behavior, speech development, motor coordination and intellectual capacity.
Sleep disturbances in children are highly prevalent and have medical, neurological and psychiatric comorbidities. Sleep problems have a major impact not only on the child, but they affect the whole family's health and well-being.
The early diagnosis and correct treatment is therefore necessary. The paper describes the most frequent disorders of sleep and vigilance in different children's age groups: infants and toddlers, pre-school and school children and adolescents.
The attention is focused to childhood insomnia, breathing sleep disorders, parasomnia, delayed circadian rhythm as well as hypersomnia.