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. 2025 Feb;40(2):123-131.
doi: 10.1177/08830738241285074. Epub 2024 Oct 13.

Sleep Characteristics of Children and Youth with Cerebral Palsy

Hangsel Sanguino  1   2 , Laura Brunton  3   4 , Elizabeth G Condliffe  1   5   6 , Daniel C Kopala-Sibley  2   5   7   8 , Melanie E Noel  1   2   5   8   9 , Sandra J Mish  10 , Carly A McMorris  1   2
Affiliations

Sleep Characteristics of Children and Youth with Cerebral Palsy

Hangsel Sanguino et al. J Child Neurol. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Children with cerebral palsy are considered to be a population at risk for the occurrence of sleep difficulties. However, existing literature has been limited by subjective measures of sleep and has failed to examine contributing factors. Methods: Forty-five youth with cerebral palsy participated. Both youth and caregivers completed sleep-related questionnaires, while youth completed daily actigraphy for objective sleep assessments. Results: Sleep patterns, including sleep duration, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency, are generally aligned with existing sleep recommendations. However, the number of awakenings was significantly higher in youth with cerebral palsy compared to these recommendations. Most youth experienced poor sleep quality, and approximately a quarter experienced insomnia. Being a boy and having a preexisting mental health diagnosis was associated with poor sleep quality and greater insomnia symptoms. Conclusions: Most youth with cerebral palsy experience a range of sleep difficulties. This study provides new information on sleep patterns in youth with cerebral palsy, highlighting the importance of addressing sleep issues in this population to improve their well-being and ultimately limit the negative impacts on overall health and quality of life.

Keywords: actigraphy; cerebral palsy; sleep; sleep patterns; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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