Associations of sleep problems with asthma and allergic rhinitis among Chinese preschoolers

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of sleep problems with asthma and allergic rhinitis among Chinese preschoolers. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Guangzhou, China. Children aged 3–6 years were recruited from 32 kindergartens in 7 administrative districts. Asthma, allergic rhinitis and sleep problems were evaluated using a valid questionnaire. Binary logistic regression models were employed to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations of asthma and allergic rhinitis with short sleep duration, late bedtime and frequent nocturnal awakening. We included 4876 preschool children in the current analysis. Of these, 182 (3.7%) diagnosed as asthma, and 511 (10.5%) diagnosed as allergic rhinitis. Frequent nocturnal awakening was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis, with adjusted OR were 1.49 (95% CI 1.05–2.13) and 1.59 (95% CI 1.27–1.99), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed the OR for frequent nocturnal awakening with asthma was higher in girls (1.68; 95% CI 1.02–2.78) than in boys (1.35; 95% CI 0.81–2.24), but the OR for frequent nocturnal awakening with allergic rhinitis were similar in girls (1.73; 95% CI 1.15–2.30) and boys (1.57; 95% CI 1.17–2.12). No significant associations of short sleep duration and late bedtime with asthma or allergic rhinitis were identified. Our data suggested that frequent nocturnal awakening was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis among preschoolers, and the association of frequent nocturnal awakening with asthma differed by gender. Further studies are warranted to address the causal relationship between nocturnal awakening and asthma and allergic rhinitis.