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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
Summary
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.