DOES PHENOBARBITAL USED FOR FEBRILE SEIZURES CAUSE SLEEP DISTURBANCES

The effect of phenobarbital on total sleep time, night awakenings, and lengthy awakenings was examined as part of a randomized trial of chil dren with febrile seizures; information about sleep patterns was gathe red by parental observation. Children were between ages 8-36 months at enrollment and were examined subsequently for 2 1/2 years. Night awak enings were not more common in children assigned to phenobarbital exce pt for those who were poor sleepers at the beginning of the study. Tot al sleep time was no different in children assigned to phenobarbital t han in those assigned to placebo. It is concluded that sleep problems reported in most young children with febrile seizures treated with phe nobarbital did not exceed those reported in children treated with plac ebo, but a subset of predisposed children did experience an increase i n night awakenings.