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In-room access to media affected sleep in boys with ASD

Sleep disturbances may be related to media use in boys with autism spectrum disorder, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.

Christopher R. Engelhardt, PhD, and colleagues from the University of Missouri-Columbia examined boys aged 8 to 17 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n=49), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n=38), or typical development/typically developing (TD; n=41) to determine whether hours of media use and bedroom access to media affected the average sleep hours per night.

Overall, participants with a television in their bedroom spent less time sleeping per night compared with those without a television (P<.001). However, the number of hours spent watching television per day was not related to the amount of sleep per night (P=.12). Participants with a computer in their bedrooms (P=.002) and a video game system in their bedrooms (P<.01) slept fewer hours per night compared with participants without either in their room. However, the number of hours spent watching television per day or playing video games was not associated with the number of hours spent sleeping per night.

Having a television or computer in a bedroom was associated with fewer hours of sleep per night in participants with ASD compared with participants with ADHD or TD. The amount of time playing video games was also associated with fewer hours of sleep in participants with ASD compared with participants with ADHD or TD.

“The current findings suggest that the associations between media exposure and sleep are more pronounced among boys with ASD than among boys with ADHD or TD and suggest that in-room access to screen-based media and time spent playing video games may place individuals with ASD at increased risk for sleep problems,” the researchers wrote. “These findings highlight the importance of considering screen-based media use in both research and assessment of sleep problems in children with ASD.”

The researchers suggested that autism specialists and primary care physicians should routinely assess screen-based media habits when addressing sleep problems in children with ASD, as this may represent an important intervention target for improving sleep.

Disclosure: The study was supported by a grant from the University of Missouri research board. The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.