Common Childhood Sleep Disorders and the Role of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Sleep is crucial for normal, healthy development in childhood. Consistent, high-quality sleep regimens lead to better overall health outcomes, such as enhanced focus, behavior, learning, memory, emotional control, and overall mental and physical well-being. In contrast, poor, minimal, and irregular sleep patterns are associated with behavioral and academic struggles, increased risk of accidents and injuries, and sequelae like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and mental health disorders including depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, and self-harm. 
 
This article review aims to (1) define normal sleep goals as recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); (2) explore the osteopathic physician’s role in the counseling of healthy sleep, evaluating and diagnosing sleep disorders, and the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to enhance sleep patterns; and (3) highlight some of the most prominent childhood sleep disorders—including obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias, behavioral insomnia of childhood, delayed sleep phase disorder, and restless legs syndrome—focusing on their typical presentations, underlying pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies including the use of OMT. Osteopathic interventions can complement standard care to improve sleep quality in pediatric populations.