A Community Study on Sleep Characteristics and Anxiety Symptoms in Children with Dyslexia

Objectives: Sleep serves a crucial role in the optimal development of cognitive, emotional, and physical domains. Sleep disturbances and disorders have been reported to frequently occur in many neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The connection between dyslexia and sleep, however, is sparsely explored. This community study aimed to enhance knowledge about sleep disturbances in children with dyslexia and explore the potential impact of anxiety. Method: The parents of 160 children aged 7-13 years old with a primary diagnosis of dyslexia completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Results: Sixty-six percent of the children showed pathological levels of sleep disturbances, with clinical scores observed in the subscales of Sleep Onset Delay, Sleep Anxiety, and Daytime Sleepiness. Overall, sleep and anxiety were correlated, but anxiety levels were not elevated and not correlated with Sleep Onset Delay. Conclusions: The current results suggest that the majority of children with dyslexia suffer from sleep disturbances, such as delayed sleep onset and shorter sleep durations, irrespective of the scores given on the anxiety scale. Given the importance of sleep for optimal development, there is an alarming need for more studies to be carried out to explore additional factors that interact with healthy sleep to develop sleep interventions.