Sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder in Lahore, Pakistan; a cross-sectional study

Objective:To assess the frequency of insomnia and other sleep disturbances among children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from May to August 2019, after approval from the ethics committee of Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore. It comprised children aged 6-12 years pre-diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who were enrolled from 3 institutions and an out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital. Sleep disturbance scale for children was used for data-collection, and the parents were asked to fill it out. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results: Of the 93 subjects, 71(76.3%) were boys and 22(23.7%) were girls, and 58(62.4%) were aged 6-8 years. Overall, 37(39.8%) children had at least one type of sleeping disorder; the most common being insomnia 24(25.8%), and the least common being sleep breathing disorders 4(4.3%). Conclusion: Nearly 40% children with autism spectrum disorder had sleep disorders, and insomnia was the most common.