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Updated: Jul 22, 2025

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

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Sleep disturbances are associated with irritability in ASD children with sensory sensitivities

Alona Molcho-Haimovich1,2, Liat Tikotzky3, Gal Meiri4,5

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. alonamh@gmail.com.

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
|July 21, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Sleep disturbances in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are linked to sensory sensitivity and irritability. These factors interact, suggesting interventions in one area may help others.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • High prevalence of sleep disturbances in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affecting 44-84% of cases.
  • Prior research linked ASD sleep issues to sensory problems or aberrant behaviors individually.
  • Lack of combined analyses examining sensory and aberrant behaviors' impact on ASD sleep disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the relationship between sensory profiles, aberrant behaviors, and sleep disturbances in children with ASD.
  • Determine if sensory sensitivity and irritability scores predict sleep disturbance severity.
  • Explore the moderating role of sensory sensitivity on the association between irritability and sleep.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized parent reports from 237 children with ASD (ages 1.4-8.7 years).
  • Employed the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Sensory Profile (SP), and Aberrant Behaviors Checklist (ABC).
  • Conducted correlational and moderation analyses to assess symptom domain relationships.

Main Results:

  • Sleep disturbances strongly correlated with Sensory Profile sensory sensitivity and Aberrant Behaviors Checklist irritability scores.
  • Sensory sensitivity and irritability explained 35% of the variance in total sleep disturbance scores (CSHQ).
  • Sensory sensitivity moderated the irritability-sleep disturbance link; significant associations found only in children with moderate to severe sensory sensitivities.

Conclusions:

  • Suggests an interaction between sensory sensitivity, irritability, and sleep disturbances in ASD.
  • Interventions targeting one symptom domain may positively influence others.
  • Further research and intervention studies are needed to test these interactions.
Abstract

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