Table 4 Causes of sleep disturbances in children and adolescents: definitions, impact, and link to hypertension.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to apnea/hypopnea.

Causes fragmented sleep, oxygen desaturation, and daytime fatigue.

Increases risk of pediatric hypertension due to disrupted sleep and intermittent hypoxia.

Duration of Sleep

Total time spent sleeping per night, including naps.

Inadequate sleep duration contributes to poor cognitive development and metabolic disturbances.

Shortened sleep duration has been associated with elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents.

Sleep Fragmentation

Repeated interruptions of sleep, causing poor sleep quality despite adequate duration.

Reduces restorative sleep and increases daytime sleepiness.

Sleep fragmentation has been linked to endothelial dysfunction, increased blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk.