Abstract
The course of sleep patterns over 2–3 years was compared between 16 school-age children with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) and 16 age- and gender-matched typically developing children, using 1-week actigraphy at baseline and follow-up. At baseline (mean age 11.1 years), children with AS/HFA had longer sleep latency and lower sleep efficiency during school days, but earlier sleep start and sleep end during weekends. At follow-up (mean age 13.7 years), children with AS/HFA had longer night wakings and lower sleep efficiency during weekends than the controls. The overall change of sleep patterns, however, is similar in children with AS/HFA and typically developing controls over a 2 to 3-year period.
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Acknowledgment
Development of this paper was supported with funding from the Foundation of Majblommans Riksförbund.
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There is one change in affiliation since the time of the study, namely, Hiie Allik has defended her thesis, and obtained a doctoral degree at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Allik conducted this study in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a doctoral degree at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Allik, H., Larsson, JO. & Smedje, H. Sleep Patterns in School-age Children with Asperger Syndrome or High-functioning Autism: A Follow-up Study. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 1625–1633 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0543-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0543-0