Allergic rhinitis and sleep disorders in children – coexistence and reciprocal interactions

OBJECTIVE: To review, critically analyze and synthesize knowledge from the international literature regarding the association between allergic rhinitis (AR) and sleep disorders, the impact of AR treatment on children's sleep, and lay the foundation for future research on this topic. SOURCE OF DATA: A literature search using PubMed database including original and review articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses using keywords related to AR, sleep disorders and sleep-disordered breathing. SYNTHESIS OF DATA: Sleep is fundamental to health, and its assessment and control of conditions that trigger or aggravate disturbances are of the uttermost importance. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is common in children and may interfere with both their quality of life and quality of sleep. It has emerged as one of the most important risk factors for habitual snoring in children and appeared to increase the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), with AR severity exhibiting a significant and independent association with pediatric OSA severity. However, in some studies, those associations between AR and OSA in children are not very consistent. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial level of controversy exists regarding the interactions between AR and OSA in children. Notwithstanding, identifying and treating AR in clinical settings is probably an important step toward improving symptoms and preventing deterioration of sleep quality in children and may improve the severity of underlying OSA. Considering the high prevalence, morbidity, economic and social implications of both AR and sleep problems, it is crucial that healthcare providers improve their understanding of the relationships between those conditions among children.