“Sleep” and “Development”

– Including Sleep Education for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders –

Abstract

Sleep is critical for children’s physical and mental development. Sleep patterns are present since the fetal period but their structure and physiology is modified according with the maturation of the central nervous system. Poor sleep may be more pronounced in children with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). Children with ASD and/or ADHD experience a wide range of forms of sleep disturbance including insomnias, hypersomnia, parasomnias, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders from the period of early childhood. Above all, sleep education is valid especially for sleep-onset insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. The strongest evidences to date on promoting sleep in ASD and/or ADHD supports sleep education, ecological and behavioral interventions, and exogenous melatonin. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between sleep disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders and presents the importance of sleep education in the early stage of development especially for children with ASD and/or ADHD.