The iron deficiency is the most common micro-nutrient deficiency in children, with a large number of children falling victims in China, especially infants, which are at a very high risk. The sleep plays an important part in the body's development, repair and adjustment, and is particularly important in the developing stage. It is revealed by increasing number of studies that the iron deficiency is probably associated with several common sleep disorders in children. This paper reviews the cutting-edge studies of iron deficiency-related sleep disorders in children, including the clinical characteristics, the possible pathological mechanism and the iron supplement therapy. The iron deficiency may lead to increased abnormal activities during sleep in children by causing disorders of neurotransmitters, altering the processes of the myelination and the formation of dendrites. The iron supplementation therapy was reported to improve the symptoms of sleep movements in some children.

iron deficiency  /  iron deficiency anemia  /  sleep disorders in children