scholarly journals Sleep disturbances are associated with specific sensory sensitivities in children with autism

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Orna Tzischinsky ◽  
Gal Meiri ◽  
Liora Manelis ◽  
Asif Bar-Sinai ◽  
Hagit Flusser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities

Sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder in Lahore, Pakistan; a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Usman Baig ◽  
Syed Muslim Mehdi ◽  
Hafiz Muhammad Imtiaz Afzal ◽  
Admin
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Institutional Ethics

Abstract Objective: To assess the frequency of insomnia and other sleep disturbances among children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Sleep disturbance scale for children was used in this descriptive cross-sectional study and the parents were asked to fill out the questionnaire along with the consent form. Initial sample size was 97, out of which 93 were included in study. The research was approved by institutional ethics committee of Sharif medical and Dental College. Results: This study showed that 37 (39.8%) children had at least one type of the sleeping disorder. Most common type were insomnia 24 (25.8%) and sleep-awake transition disorders 15 (16.1%), less common were disorders of arousal 10 (10.8%), disorders of excessive somnolence 7 (7.5%), sleep hyperhidrosis 5 (5.4%) and sleep breathing disorders 4 (4.3%). Conclusion: Nearly forty percent of children with autism spectrum disorder suffer from sleep disorders, among which the most frequent was insomnia. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, sleep disorders, children

scholarly journals Reduced sleep pressure in young children with autism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayelet Arazi ◽  
Gal Meiri ◽  
Dor Danan ◽  
Analya Michaelovski ◽  
Hagit Flusser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Slow Wave ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Slow Wave Activity ◽  
Sleep Regulation ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Sleep Homeostasis

AbstractStudy ObjectivesSleep disturbances and insomnia are highly prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Sleep homeostasis, a fundamental mechanism of sleep regulation that generates pressure to sleep as a function of wakefulness, has not been studied in children with ASD so far, and its potential contribution to their sleep disturbances remains unknown. Here, we examined whether slow wave activity (SWA), a measure that is indicative of sleep pressure, differs in children with ASD.MethodsIn this case-control study, we compared overnight electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings that were performed during Polysomnography (PSG) evaluations of 29 children with ASD and 23 typically developing children.ResultsChildren with ASD exhibited significantly weaker SWA power, shallower SWA slopes, and a decreased proportion of slow wave sleep in comparison to controls. This difference was largest during the first two hours following sleep onset and decreased gradually thereafter. Furthermore, SWA power of children with ASD was significantly, negatively correlated with the time of their sleep onset in the lab and at home, as reported by parents.ConclusionsThese results suggest that children with ASD may have a dysregulation of sleep homeostasis that is manifested in reduced sleep pressure. The extent of this dysregulation in individual children was apparent in the amplitude of their SWA power, which was indicative of the severity of their individual sleep disturbances. We, therefore, suggest that disrupted homeostatic sleep regulation may contribute to sleep disturbances in children with ASD.Statement of significanceSleep disturbances are apparent in 40-80% of children with autism. Homeostatic sleep regulation, a mechanism that increases the pressure to sleep as a function of prior wakefulness, has not been studied in children with autism. Here, we compared Polysomnography exams of 29 children with autism and 23 matched controls. We found that children with autism exhibited reduced slow-wave-activity power and shallower slopes, particularly during the first two hours of sleep. This suggests that they develop less pressure to sleep. Furthermore, the reduction in slow-wave-activity was associated with the severity of sleep disturbances as observed in the laboratory and as reported by parents. We, therefore, suggest that disrupted homeostatic sleep regulation may contribute to sleep disturbances of children with autism.

scholarly journals Effects of Sleep Disturbances on Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Jingjing Lin ◽  
Ying Zeng ◽  
Yanan Liu ◽  
Yamin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Habits ◽  
Children With Asd

Study Objectives: This study aims to identify the characteristic sleep disturbances that affect behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing a potential direction for sleep and behavioral intervention in ASD.Methods: The data of 513 children with ASD and 246 typically developing (TD) children aged between 2 and 5 years old were collected. The behavior performance of preschool children was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist for 1.5–5.0 years old. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was used to measure the sleep status of the children, and the Social Responsiveness Scale was used to measure the severity of disorder. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of sleep disturbances on behavioral problems, and independent-sample t-test was performed to compare the mean of the samples.Results: Compared to TD children, children with ASD had longer sleep onset delay and more night awakenings. The parasomnias score (a subscale of the CSHQ) was significantly associated with the internalizing (β = 0.113, P = 0.010), externalizing (β = 0.128, P = 0.006), and total problems (β = 0.143, P = 0.001) of children with ASD, while this association was not significant in TD children. “Bed wetting” and “restless and moves a lot” (two items in the CSHQ under parasomnia) significantly only affected the overall behavioral score in children with ASD (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Parasomnias, especially bed wetting and restlessness, are specifically associated with the behavioral problems of children with ASD rather than TD children.

scholarly journals Sleep Disturbances in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder at a Malaysian Tertiary Hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho Wai Koo ◽  
Juriza Ismail ◽  
Wai Wai Yang ◽  
Syed Zulkifli Syed Zakaria
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Sleep Latency ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Sleep Length

Introduction: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a variety of co-morbid medical problems, including sleep disturbances. Prevalence of sleep disorders has been reported to be higher in this group as compared to the general population. Identifying sleep problems in children with ASD may help increase awareness and improve the overall quality of care for them. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sleep problems and associated factors in a group of Malaysian children aged 6–16 years, with ASD.Method: This is a cross-sectional study at the Child Development Centre of UKM Medical Centre (UKM MC) on ASD children aged 6–16 years. Demographic data was obtained and the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire was completed by the main caregiver. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors related to higher total SDSC scores.Results: A total of 128 patients were recruited (111 boys) with a median age of 8 years 3 months (IQR: 2 years 10 months). Forty-seven (36.7%) of them obtained total SDSC scores in the pathological range with 19 (14.8%) scoring high for overall disturbances and 28 (21.9%) for at least one subtype of sleep disorders: 25 (19.5%) DIMS, 18 (14.1%) SBD, 10 (7.8%) DOES, 5 (3.9%) DOA, 6 (4.7%) SWTD, and 3 (2.3%) SHY. More than half of the children (57.8%) were reported to have sufficient sleep duration of 8–11 h, but longer sleep latency of at least 15 min (82.8%). Half of the ASD children also had co-morbidities in which one-third (34.4%) had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using logistic regression analysis, four factors were significantly associated with higher total SDSC scores; female gender (p = 0.016), older age group (11–16 years old) (p = 0.039), shorter sleep length (p = 0.043), and longer sleep latency (p < 0.001).Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disturbances is high among Malaysian children with ASD, especially DIMS. Female gender, older age group, shorter sleep length, and longer sleep latency were found to be associated with the sleep disturbances. Evaluation of sleep problems should form part of the comprehensive care of children with ASD.

scholarly journals Subjective Assessment of Sleep in Infantile Autism: A Comparative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Maydelin Alfonso-Alfonso ◽  
Lilia Morales-Chacón ◽  
Justa González-Naranjo
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Sleep Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sleep Breathing Disorders ◽  
Sleep Assessment

Sleep disturbances are very common in children with autism; it is for this reason that instruments that facilitate their evaluation are necessary. Objectives: Perform sleep assessment from a subjective perspective in a group of children with primary autism and compare them with a control group, using the Sleep Habits in Children Survey (CSHQ), with the purpose of determining sleep disturbances according to the subscales used. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of 21 patients with primary autism. For the evaluation of sleep disturbances, we chose the CSHQ survey. The differences between the independent groups were calculated by applying a Mann–Whitney U test. Results: In the group of children with autism, higher values of the total scale were observed in comparison with the control group (p = 0.00) which It is congruent with a large sleep dysfunction. Significant differences were observed for all subscales (p = 0.00), with the exception of the subscale number 7. Conclusions: A high presence of sleep disturbances was observed in children with primary autism, with the exception of sleep breathing disorders, which did not show significant differences between the groups.

scholarly journals Sleep problems are associated with hypersensitivity to touch in children with autism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzischinsky Orna ◽  
Meiri Gal ◽  
Manelis Liora ◽  
Bar-Sinai Asif ◽  
Fluser Hagit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sensory Abnormalities ◽  
Autism Group ◽  
Hyper Sensitivity

AbstractBackgroundSensory abnormalities and sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in children with autism, but the potential relationship between these two domains has rarely been explored. Understanding such relationships is important for identifying children with autism who exhibit more homogeneous symptoms.MethodsHere we examined this relationship using the Caregiver Sensory Profile and the children’s sleep habit questionnaires, which were completed by parents of 69 children with autism and 62 frequency age-matched controls.ResultsIn line with previous studies, children with autism exhibited more severe sensory abnormalities and sleep disturbances than age-matched controls. The sleep disturbance scores were strongly associated with touch and oral sensitivities in the autism group and with touch and vestibular sensitivities in the control group. Hyper sensitivity towards touch, in particular, exhibited the strongest relationship with sleep disturbances in the autism group and single-handedly explained 24% of the variance in sleep disturbance scores. In contrast, sensitivity in other sensory domains such as vision and audition was not associated with sleep quality in either group.ConclusionsWhile it is often assumed that sensitivities in all sensory domains are similarly associated with sleep problems, our results suggest that hyper sensitivity towards touch exhibits the strongest relationship to sleep disturbances when examining children autism. We speculate that hyper sensitivity towards touch interferes with sleep onset and maintenance in a considerable number of children with autism who exhibit severe sleep disturbances. Studies that examine the effects of tactile sensory therapies/aids on sleep quality and behavioral improvement in these children are, therefore, highly warranted.

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