Asperger's Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asperger's Syndrome, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, medication.

Sleep in children with asperger syndrome.

Paavonen EJ, Vehkalahti K, Vanhala R, von Wendt L, Nieminen-von Wendt T, Aronen ET

Department of Child Psychiatry, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Lastenlinnantie 2, 00250, Helsinki, Finland, juulia.paavonen@helsinki.fi.

The prevalence of sleep disturbances in 52 children with Asperger syndrome (AS) as compared with 61 healthy controls (all subjects aged 5-17 years) was investigated. Problems with sleep onset and maintenance, sleep-related fears, negative attitudes toward sleeping, and daytime somnolence were more frequent among children with AS than among controls. Short sleep duration (<9 h) was almost twofold (59% vs. 32%), and the risk for sleep onset problems more than fivefold (53% vs. 10%) more common in the AS group than in the control group. Child-reported sleeping problems were also more prevalent in the AS group than in controls (58% vs. 7%). The results suggest that sleep disturbances should be routinely evaluated in children with AS.

Published 7 January 2008 in J Autism Dev Disord, 38(1): 41-51.
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