English       繁體中文

Effects of sleep problems

◅ Sleep & ASD

Impact on Behaviours and Emotions

  • More difficult temperament (infants)
  • Behaviour problems and psychopathology (older children)
  • Long-term irritability
  • Attention Problems
  • Hyperactivity

Impact on School Performance and Adjustment:

  • Poorer attendance, internalizing issues, more hyperactivity in boys. 
  • Internalizing and externalizing issues in girls
  • Academic difficulties
  • Attention issues
  • Higher levels of nervousness and irritability

 

Impact on Development

  • Sleep issues tend to decrease as the child grows up. However, this pattern may differ for different people.
  • With the presence of sleep problems, the child has a higher chance of developing anxiety or depression as he/she grows up compared to children without sleep problems.
  • Compared to children without sleep problems, children with sleep problems, as young as age 4, is more prone to later inattention issues.
  • These children may develop poorer executive functioning, which involves attentional control and memory.

 

Impact on Family

  • Higher stress levels in the family, affecting relationships between family members.
  • Greater risk of maternal depression (given that mother is the typical primary caregiver). The mother's mental health is highly correlated with the child's behavioural issues (hyperactivity, conduct issues, prosocial behaviours), especially in children with ASD.
  • Family disorganization, which in turn feeds into disorganized sleep patterns in the child.

 

References:

  1. Doo, S. & Wing, Y. K. (2006). Sleep problems of children with pervasive developmental disorders: correlation with parental stress. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 48, 650-655.
  2. Mazurek, M. O. & Sohl, K. (2016). Sleep and Behavioral Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 1906-1915.
  3. Polimeni, M. , Richdale, A. & Francis, A. (2007). The Impact of Children’s Sleep Problems on the Family and Behavioural Processes Related to their Development and Maintenance. E-Journal of Applied Psychology,3(1), 76-85.
  4. Turnbull, K. , Reid, G. J. & Morton, J. B. (2013). Behavioral Sleep Problems and their Potential Impact on Developing Executive Function in Children. Sleep, 36(7),1077-1084.