Actigraphic assessment of sleep in young adults with Asperger syndrome

A high prevalence of subjective insomnia in adults with Asperger syndrome has been reported. In the present study the sleep quality of these patients was studied using wrist actigraphy. Nineteen adults with Asperger syndrome and frequent feelings of insomnia were compared with 10 controls devoid of neuropsychiatric disorders and subjective sleep problems during six consecutive nights. The patients had similar actigraphic sleep profile to the controls. The subjective low sleep quality in patients was not reflected in actigraphic assessment of sleep. This finding suggests that pervasive anxiety inherent in persons with Asperger syndrome predisposes them to insomnia complaints.