The Assessment and Treatment of Sleep Abnormalities in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review.

J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology and Sleep Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Published: February 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • Sleep disturbances are common in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), manifesting as issues like insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders.
  • Multiple factors contribute to these disturbances, but there is a lack of clinical studies and evidence-based treatment guidelines tailored for this population.
  • For managing insomnia, behavioral interventions are the first choice, with medications like melatonin and alpha agonists as possible alternatives, although not all medications are approved for children and adolescents.

Article Abstract

Objective: To summarize causes, evaluation methods, and treatment of sleep disturbance in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: A narrative literature and synthesis approach was used.

Results/discussion: Sleep disturbances in this population are common and include insomnia, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders, and sleep-related movement disorders. Multiple factors may contribute to the higher rates of sleep disturbances in persons with ASD. Unfortunately, there are not evidence-based guidelines specific for the management of these sleep disorders in this population. There is also a lack of controlled clinical studies. Nevertheless, assessment of sleep problems using both subjective and objective methods are recommended to develop an individualized approach. Behavioural interventions are preferred first line treatment for insomnia. As adjunctive measures, pharmacotherapy may be warranted and choice should be guided based on accompanying symptoms. The most commonly used pharmacotherapy for sleep disturbance, primarily insomnia, include melatonin and alpha agonists. Not all currently used medications are approved for use for children and adolescents.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7837521PMC

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