ABSTRACT
It is well documented that persistent sleep disruption is associated with diminished cognitive abilities, emotional and behavioural difficulties and also physical impairments. Carers and parents of young people with sleep disorders are also prone to suffer similar effects, if their own sleep is disturbed. Fortunately, many of these effects are rapidly reversed by successful treatment of the sleep disorder but early identification and intervention are clearly important, especially so in young people; some cognitive impairments associated with sleep disorders may be less easily reversed, if at all, if they occur at critical stages of development.
