SLEEP PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN WITH SANFILIPPO SYNDROME

Sanfilippo syndrome is a rare degenerative disorder which has severe i ntellectual and behavioural sequelae, commonly including sleep problem s. A parental questionnaire was used to gather information on the slee p patterns of 80 children with Sanfilippo syndrome (mean age 10 years 2 months). The majority were found to have sleep problems (78%), Many also exhibited other distressing and unusual night time behaviours (st aying up all night chewing the bedclothes or crying out suddenly), and a few laughed or sang. Such problems may have been more severe in tho se with Sanfilippo syndrome type B. In four of the families offered in dividually tailored behaviour-management advice there was immediate im provement, which was maintained at follow-up in two cases. These resul ts demonstrate the usefulness of even such a minimal intervention, eve n in a very difficult population such as this.