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Sleep patterns of children with pervasive developmental disorders

Ryan D Honomichl1, Beth L Goodlin-Jones, Melissa Burnham

  • 1Department of Human and Community Development, University of California at Davis, 95616, USA.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|January 30, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) often experience fragmented sleep and longer sleep onset times. These sleep disturbances are prevalent, even when parents do not perceive a problem.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Neurology

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are frequently reported in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).
  • Parental perception of sleep problems may not fully capture the extent of sleep fragmentation in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sleep behavior patterns in children with PDD.
  • To compare sleep fragmentation and onset times with community norms.
  • To examine the relationship between parental perception and objective sleep data.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized sleep diaries, the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the Parenting Events Questionnaire.
  • Collected data from 100 children aged 2-11 years with PDD.
  • Assessed short-term stability of sleep-wake patterns over two time periods.

Main Results:

  • Over half of parents reported sleep problems in their children with PDD.
  • Children with perceived sleep problems showed more fragmented sleep.
  • All children with PDD exhibited longer sleep onset times and greater sleep fragmentation than community norms, irrespective of parental perception.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep problems and fragmented sleep patterns are common in children with PDD.
  • Objective measures reveal significant sleep disturbances in this population.
  • Parental perception is a useful indicator but does not encompass all sleep issues in children with PDD.

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