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Sleep Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The behavioral pediatric insomnia is the most common pediatric sleep disorder (approximately 30 % of children have suffered of this disorder by the second year of life), characterized by difficulty of falling asleep and multiple nocturnal awakenings. This disorder is also frequently complained by parents or caregivers of ASD children, with a prevalence up to 50 % of cases. Nocturnal agitation, cosleeping, poor sleep hygiene, and early final awakening have been often reported. In ASD, insomnia is associated to an early alteration of physiological circadian rhythms and melatonin secretion. Furthermore, in a minority of cases, behavioral insomnia can anticipate or be in comorbidity with other major sleep problems such as restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements during sleep, obstructive sleep apneas, bruxism, and epilepsy. After excluding the presence of other major sleep disorders, the best treatment of behavioral insomnia in children with ASD is behavioral cognitive therapy and sleep hygiene, associated with melatonin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep and Epilepsy Center, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland

    Silvia Miano

  2. Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Center of Pediatric Sleep Disorders, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Flavia Giannotti & Flavia Cortesi

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  1. Silvia Miano
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  2. Flavia Giannotti
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  3. Flavia Cortesi
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Correspondence to Silvia Miano .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Luigi Mazzone

  2. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Benedetto Vitiello

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Miano, S., Giannotti, F., Cortesi, F. (2016). Sleep Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In: Mazzone, L., Vitiello, B. (eds) Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29695-1_8

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