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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking (IPL): Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism
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Sleep problems and language development in toddlers with Williams syndrome.

Emma L Axelsson1, Catherine M Hill, Avi Sadeh

  • 1University of New South Wales, School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Australia.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|September 14, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Children with Williams syndrome (WS) experience more sleep problems, including shorter night sleep and more wakefulness. Shorter sleep duration in these children is linked to poorer language development.

Keywords:
Developmental disordersMaternal depressionSleep problemsWilliams syndrome

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Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Genetics and Rare Diseases

Background:

  • Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder with complex physical, cognitive, and behavioral features.
  • Previous research indicates a high prevalence of sleep difficulties in older children and adults with WS.
  • Sleep patterns in young children with WS have not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify sleep difficulties in young children with Williams syndrome (WS) compared to typically developing (TD) children.
  • To investigate the relationship between sleep duration and language development in children with WS.
  • To explore maternal beliefs and perceptions regarding their child's sleep.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 18 children with WS and 18 TD children within a narrow age range.
  • Parental reports using validated questionnaires including sleep quality, behavior, and language development assessments.
  • Regression analyses to examine the association between sleep variables and language development.

Main Results:

  • Children with WS exhibited shorter night sleep duration and increased night wakings compared to TD children.
  • A significant portion of the variance in language development scores for children with WS was explained by night sleep duration.
  • Mothers of children with WS were more likely to report sleep problems and engage in sleep-related interventions, interpreting issues differently than control mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Young children with Williams syndrome experience significant sleep disturbances, impacting their development.
  • Night sleep duration is a crucial factor influencing language development in children with WS.
  • Maternal sleep quality and mood are associated with their child's sleep patterns, warranting further investigation.