Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder and typical development.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sleep problems are frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but less data exists from developing countries.
• This study focuses on sleep difficulties in Thai children with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare sleep difficulties in Thai children aged 3-16 years diagnosed with ASD versus age- and gender-matched TD children.
• To utilize the validated Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ)-Thai version for comprehensive sleep assessment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 65 children with ASD and 65 TD children (aged 3-16 years) was recruited from a university hospital in Bangkok.
• Parent-reported data on background characteristics, sleep duration, and the CSHQ were collected.
• Statistical comparisons of CSHQ subscales and total scores were performed between the ASD and TD groups.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD exhibited significantly longer sleep latency on both weekdays and weekends compared to TD children.
• The ASD group reported higher scores on CSHQ subscales, including bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, and night waking, along with higher total scores.
• Within the ASD group, children treated with psychostimulants for ADHD showed reduced sleep duration compared to unmedicated children.

Conclusions:

• Sleep difficulties are more prevalent in children with ASD than in TD children in the studied Thai population.
• Awareness and early identification of sleep problems in children with ASD are essential for timely intervention.
• Effective management of sleep disturbances can lead to improved quality of life for both children with ASD and their families.