Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Sep 1;35(5):345-351.
doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000790. Epub 2022 Feb 15.

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders: how do they sleep?

Arianna Belli  1 , Maria Breda  1 , Chiara Di Maggio  1   2 , Dario Esposito  1 , Lavinia Marcucci  1 , Oliviero Bruni  3
Affiliations
Review

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders: how do they sleep?

Arianna Belli et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: In this review we summarized the available evidence on sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in particular: intellectual disability (including some genetic conditions such as Prader-Willi Syndrome, Smith-Magenis Syndrome), Autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Developmental Coordination Disorder, language disorders, and specific learning disorders.

Recent findings: Children with NDDs frequently suffer from sleep disturbances, with a higher prevalence than that of the general pediatric population.

Summary: These problems tend to be chronic and may cause additional cognitive and behavioral difficulties, often affecting the whole family's well-being. Sleep behaviors are also related to other important developmental skills, such as attention and listening. Investigating sleep disorders in children with NDDs is therefore crucial in clinical practice. For a systematic approach in clinical practice, we propose the use of a short and easy to remember sleep screening tool.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association DSM-5 Task Force. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
    1. Angriman M, Caravale B, Novelli L, et al. Sleep in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Neuropediatrics 2015; 46:199–210.
    1. Stores G. Sleep studies in children with a mental handicap. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1992; 33:1303–1317.
    1. Grigg-Damberger M, Ralls F. Treatment strategies for complex behavioral insomnia in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2013; 19:616–625.
    1. Narasimhan U, Anitha FS, Battula M. Specific learning disability unmasked by psychophysiological insomnia. Cureus 2020; 12:e7480.