The effect of behavioral sleep interventions on the sleep of autistic adults

Abstract

AbstractSleep plays a crucial role in maintaining physical health, and the absence of it can have severe consequences. Individuals with autism often struggle with sleep issues. While sleep interventions have been successful for autistic children, there is still a significant gap in research when it comes to autistic adults. The purpose of the current study was to measure the effectiveness of behavioral sleep interventions on the sleep of autistic adults. Each sleep intervention was customized for all participants based on their modified Sleep Assessment and Treatment Tool (SATT) results, baseline data, and personal preferences. Using a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants, the impact of the interventions was assessed on the participants´ sleep. The independent variables included a consistent sleep-wake cycle, antecedent changes, sleep routines, and a faded bedtime. The study included five participants with different sleep problems. The behavior sleep interventions effectively reduced sleep onset latency in three out of four participants and were partially effective for one participant. The results were mixed for reducing night wakings and increasing sleep duration. The authors discuss different reasons why some of the interventions were not effective, future research directions, and highlight the need for further research on sleep interventions for autistic adults. Keywords: sleep intervention, SATT, autistic adults, sleep problems