Bisher ist nicht eindeutig geklärt, ob Tics im Schlaf auftreten und wenn ja, ob sie sich ir Form, Intensität und Häufigkeit vom Wachzustand unterscheiden. Auch weiß man bisher nicht, in welchem pathophysiologischen Zusammenhang (d. h. an Tics gebunden oder unabhängig davon) die berichteten Schlafstörungen (30–40%) der Patienten mit Tourette-Syndrom (TS) zu sehen sind. Es erscheint daher angeraten, die Sachverhalte sowie die daraus abzuleitende klinische Bedeutung des Schlafverhaltens von Kindern mit TS zu untersuchen.

So far, it is not fully clear if tics appear during sleep, and if so how they might differ from tics during wakefulness. Also, it is not fully understood how sleep disorders in patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) are related to their tics. To get better informed about the pathophysiological background of TS both issues should be investigated further. This paper give a literature overview and reports preliminary empirical data of the authors (comparing healthy vs. hypermotor children at the level of sleep behavior and polysomnographic registrations) concerning the topic. The results show a qualitatively and quantitatively di-------??????? sleep architecture in tic-children. In conclusion, the decreased motor inhibition in tic-children might increase arousal during sleep and thus contribute to sleep problems and tics a night. This could be followed by some drowsiness during day time (associated with increased stress-reagibility and thus higher vulnerability for tics during wakefulness).