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Parent-Based Sleep Education Workshops in Autism

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Susan G. McGrew, MD

Department of Pediatrics, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Kay Artibee, RN, MEd

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Kyla Surdkya, MA

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Suzanne E. Goldman, PhD

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Kim Frank, MEd

Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Lily Wang, PhD

Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Beth A. Malow, MD, MS

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, beth.malow{at}vanderbilt.edu

To determine if parents can successfully teach their children with autism spectrum disorders to become better sleepers, we piloted small group parent education workshops focused on behavioral sleep strategies. Workshops consisted of three 2-hour sessions conducted over consecutive weeks by 2 physicians. Curricula included establishing effective daytime and nighttime habits, initiating a bedtime routine, and optimizing parental interactions at bedtime and during night wakings. Baseline and treatment questionnaires and actigraphy were analyzed in 20 children, ages 3 to 10 years. Improvements after treatment were seen in the total scale and several insomnia-related subscales of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Actigraphy documented reduced sleep latency in children presenting with sleep onset delay. Improvements were also noted in measures of sleep habits and daytime behavior. Brief parent-based behavioral sleep workshops in children with autism spectrum disorders appear effective in improving subjective and objective measures of sleep, sleep habits, and daytime behavior.

Key Words: behavioral sleep medicine • actigraphy • Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire

This version was published on August 1, 2009

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 24, No. 8, 936-945 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0883073808331348


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