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Impact of Sleep in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders on Family Well-Being: A Systematic Review of

Martina Gnazzo1, Valentina Baldini1,2, Giulia Santangelo3

  • 1Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

The International Journal of Social Psychiatry
|February 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Sleep disturbances in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) significantly increase caregiver stress, anxiety, and depression. Addressing these sleep issues is crucial for family well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) frequently involve sleep disturbances in children.
  • These sleep issues negatively impact children and family psychological well-being.
  • Family members, particularly caregivers, experience significant distress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the impact of sleep disturbances in children with NDDs on family psychological outcomes.
  • To synthesize evidence on caregiver stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature search across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO).
  • Inclusion of studies examining associations between childhood NDD sleep problems and relative psychological outcomes.
  • Risk of bias assessment using STROBE Checklist and narrative/quantitative synthesis.

Main Results:

  • Ten studies confirmed a strong link between childhood NDD sleep disturbances and increased caregiver stress.
  • Elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression were reported in caregivers.
  • Reduced child sleep quality/duration correlated with poorer family functioning and lower caregiver quality of life.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep disturbances in children with NDDs profoundly affect family psychological well-being.
  • Targeted interventions for child sleep and caregiver mental health support are essential.
  • Future research should focus on longitudinal outcomes and family-centered interventions.
Abstract

Keywords:
ADHDautism spectrum disordercaregiver mental healthfamily functioningneurodevelopmental disordersparental stresssleep disturbances

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