Introduction: This study intended to explore the existence of a temporal association of changes of sleep stage and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in infants.
Materials and methods: Documentation of sleep stage and GER was conducted via the use of synchronized polygraphic recording combined with impedance-pH-metry in 15 infants. The total recording-time (Rt) was divided into GER-"window-time" (five seconds before and after the onset of a GER episode), "remaining GER time", and "GER-free time", and analyzed for changes of sleep stage.
Results: a total of 462 GER episodes were identified during Rt (151.1 h) in all infants. During 1.3 h of window-time; 61 changes of sleep stage (47/h); during 5.9 h of Remaining GER-time, 139 changes of sleep stage (24/h); and during 143.9 h of GER-free time, 4087 changes of sleep stage (28/h) were documented. Change of sleep stage was strongly associated with the onset of GER (p < 0.02 and p < 0.05, respectively).
Conclusions: There is a strong temporal association between sleep irregularities, i.e., changes of sleep and episodes of GER in infants. When dealing with disturbed sleep in infants, GER should be considered by caregivers.
Keywords: gastroesophageal reflux; infant; sleep stage change; temporal association.