About sleep problems in children with ASD

Parents raising children with ASD are worried about behavioral problems, but did you know that one of the causes of behavioral problems is sleep?

Today, I brought you a paper that studied the specific behavioral problems that most ASD friends have and the sleep problems they have.

It is known that 40-80% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have sleep problems, and these sleep problems can naturally affect behavioral problems.

If you look at the graphs in the study...

• Children in the study were found to have the following sleep problems (they were not taking sleep medication):

  • Delayed entrance

  • Reduced sleep efficiency

  • Reduced total sleep time

  • Decreased REM sleep

  • Increased daytime sleepiness

According to the paper, the darker the blue, the more association there is.

If you look at the Total Sleep Problem listed at the very bottom...

• They found that sleep problems were strongly associated with almost all behavioral problems (anxiety problems, aggressive behavior, concentration problems, physical discomfort, internalizing/externalizing problems, social communication problems, and stereotyped behavior) .

What are some ways to treat sleep problems?

According to the Sleep Foundation website ( Autism and Sleep Issues | Sleep Foundation ), in most cases, especially in children, doctors will not initially try medication but will try other methods.

For example, children with autism and their caregivers may be encouraged to practice the following sleep hygiene habits:

• Limit screen time before bed

• Avoid late afternoon naps

• Other analyses can help you create healthy sleep habits for your child (such as adding exercise, creating a bedtime routine, adjusting food, or changing bedding and pajamas).

If there are factors that interfere with sleep, such as depression or ADHD, it is said that taking medications with a calming effect may be recommended by focusing on those factors.

If your sleep problems don't improve after trying several methods, it may be a good idea to try over -the-counter melatonin or iron supplements .

If you are concerned about the cause of your child's behavioral problems,

It might be a good idea to look into whether it's related to sleep problems.

If you would like to see more details, please check the paper below~

Today's paper:

Kim H, Kim JH, Yi JH, Kim JY, Solmi M, Cortese S, Smith L, Koyanagi A, Shin JI, Cheon KA, Fusar-Poli P. Correlations between sleep problems, core symptoms, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 May;33(5):1539-1549. doi: 10.1007/s00787-023-02253-1. Epub 2023 Jul 21. PMID: 37477722; PMCID: PMC11098879.