The perspectives of autistic adolescents and their parents on sleep strategies for insomnia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autistic adolescents are vulnerable to sleep difficulties, with up to 80 % experiencing sleep problems, most commonly insomnia. Little is known about how autistic adolescents are involved in their own sleep treatment, and their depth of knowledge about their sleep difficulties. The aims of this study were to investigate autistic adolescent and parent perspectives of experiencing and managing insomnia, and what factors influence the development of these perspectives on insomnia and treatment. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 autistic adolescents with insomnia (45 % female, mean age 11.6 years) and 16 parents of an autistic adolescent with insomnia (94 % female, mean age 45.1 years). A qualitative content analytic approach was used to identify categories in the data. RESULTS: Adolescents often perceived themselves to sleep well, despite reporting symptoms and functional outcomes of insomnia. Insomnia was managed through a range of intentional routine activities involving sounds, stimulus reduction, and regular bedtimes. Parents generally sought their own information about sleep, while adolescents obtained most of their knowledge from their parents. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study highlight a range of techniques that autistic adolescents and their parents use to address sleep difficulties. Findings suggest the need for increased professional awareness of sleep problems in autistic adolescents and further recommendations to parents for available sleep services.