An examination of sleep problems and parental well-being, comparing families with and without autistic children

Background

Sleep problems are a common comorbidity in autistic children and adolescents. Little is known about the role of sleep problems in parental well-being in the context of autism.

Method

The current study utilised actigraphy and questionnaire-based measures in mothers of autistic children and adolescents (n = 11), and mothers of typically developing (TD) children and adolescents (n = 11). Actigraphy is an objective, non-intrusive method for examining sleep. It involves wearing a wristwatch-like microcomputer that records motion. Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Autoimmune Disease in Family Members Questionnaire, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

Results

Mothers of autistic children had significantly greater difficulties with subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, than mothers of TD children. In mothers of autistic children, parental use of sleep medication on the PSQI was positively associated with objective sleep onset latency using actigraphy, with a large effect size. Families with an autistic child had significantly more family members with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis than did families of TD children. Families of autistic children had significantly more autistic family members than did families of TD children.

Conclusions

Mothers of autistic children had significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and lower levels of quality of life and perceived social support, than parents of TD children. Sleep problems identified via actigraphy were associated with parental stress, anxiety and depression, and quality of life.