Sleep in Individuals with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability: Recent Research Reports

Abstract

Sleep problems are a commonly reported complaint for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability (DD), with prevalence generally exceeding that reported for individuals in the general population. Nevertheless, while there has been an increase in interest in sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sleep research in very young children and older adolescents and adults with ASD and sleep research in other DDs remains sparse. This review examines articles investigating sleep in DDs, including behavioural and melatonin interventions, published during 2012 and most of 2013, evaluating their contribution. Overall, the majority of publications concern sleep in ASD, and there remains a lack of research examining aetiology, impact and intervention for sleep difficulties in populations of individuals with other DDs. This is disappointing, given the high prevalence of sleep difficulties in DD populations and the negative impact they are known to have on individuals and their families.