Sleep and behaviour disturbance in Prader-Willi syndrome: a questionnaire study

The present authors describe sleep problems, including sleep apnoea and exc essive daytime sleepiness (EDS), in subjects with Prader-Willi syndrome (PW S). The present paper reports a questionnaire study regarding sleep and beh aviour in a group of 29 subjects with PWS, compared with an age- and gender -matched control group. Those with PWS suffered from sleep problems more fr equently than the central subjects. Problems included EDS, snoring and earl y waking. Sleep problems in PWS were not associated with body mass index or weight. Excessive daytime sleepiness was a distinctive feature of the grou p with PWS, and behavioural disturbance in PWS children and adolescents was associated with EDS. Excessive daytime sleepiness seems to be characterist ic of PWS, and may be related to problems with the sleep-wake cycle and hyp othalamic dysfunction.