Sleep Disturbances In Neurodiverse Children

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety / Depressive Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder and Learning Disabilities are classified as neurodiverse (ND) children. They frequently have other issues that impact on their health as well.

50 to 80% of ND children have sleep disturbances and they may be one or more of the following:

• Chronic Insomnia Disorder
  Trouble falling asleep; take more than 60 minutes referred to as prolonged sleep latency.
  Some kids wake repeatedly through the night.
• Circadian Rhythm Sleep Wake Disorder
  When the sleep/wake clock timer is irregular resulting in delayed sleep onset and subsequent late waking.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
  Heavy breathing and/or snoring with gasps and pauses requires further evaluation.
  
• Parasomnia
  There is a higher incidence of nightmares, sleep terror and sleepwalking in ND children.
• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) / Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
  Uncomfortable sensations at rest may cause difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
• Reduced Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep)
  ND kids may have reduced REM sleep. This sleep state is important for cognitive function and
  emotional regulation in all of us.
• Superficial or Non-Restorative Sleep
  Despite adequate sleep time, many ND children wake unrefreshed. This may be due to many
  causes. A sleep study can confirm issues such as fragmented sleep architecture and frequency
  of (even very brief) arousals from sleep; smart watches cannot do this.
  
  For these reasons a sleep study is often part of the comprehensive evaluation required to
  determine the underlying issues. Only then appropriate management strategies can be worked
  out.