title: Sleep in children with Asperger syndrome.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Lastenlinnantie 2, 00250, Helsinki, Finland. juulia.paavonen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: E Juulia
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Paavonen
authors.forename: Kimmo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vehkalahti
authors.forename: Raija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vanhala
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Wendt
authors.forename: Taina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nieminen-von Wendt
authors.forename: Eeva T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Aronen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires