Sleep problems and daytime challenging behaviour in a community-based sample of adults with intellectual disability

The present study aimed to explore associations between sleep problems and daytime challenging behaviour in a community sample of adults with intellectual disability. Sleep and behaviour questionnaires were completed for 205 people aged 18 years or over living in health- or social-services-managed community housing. This sample represented an 86% return rate. The informants were carers and the individuals themselves where possible. Seventy-nine people with sleep problems were compared with 121 individuals without this difficulty; five people were excluded from the analysis. Individuals with sleep problems displayed significantly more daytime irritability, stereotypy and hyperactivity than those without sleep problems. Individuals displaying clinically significant aggression/temper, self-injury and screaming were significantly more likely to have a concurrent sleep problem, and these forms of challenging behaviour were significantly more severe in the sleep problem group. Associations between sleep problems and daytime challenging behaviour exist in this population, although the nature of any links remains unclear and should be the attention of future research.