0303 Evaluating Sleep Quality and Circadian Rhythms in Young Autistic Children Using Actigraphy: A Feasibility Study
Abstract
Sleep problems affect up to 81% of autistic children. Studies suggest a link between sleep quality, sleep-wake rhythms, and language development in early childhood, highlighting the need for objective sleep measures. However, obtaining which measures is challenging in young autistic children, particularly due to their sensory sensitivities. Actigraphy, a less invasive tool, shows promise for autism. However, autism is a highly heterogenous condition, and to date, no study has explored which individual characteristics predict effective actigraphic monitoring. The present study assesses the feasibility of actigraphy in autistic children and identifies profiles that support long-term monitoring.
Data were collected for the multi-site BeLAS (Belgian ‘Language in Autism’ Study) project (Université Libre de Bruxelles, KU-Leuven, Ghent University). A cohort of 214 autistic children (2-6 years, 155 boys, mean age = 53.35 months) were instructed to wear an actigraph wGT3X-BT for 14 days. Parents completed a sleep diary and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Valid recordings required at least 5 days for sleep quality or 7 consecutive for circadian rhythm analysis, along with correct diary completion (with a ≤ 30 min discrepancy between diary and actimetric sleep start and end times). Logistic regression was used to predict actimetry wearability with age, IQ, total-CSHQ and ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale) comparison scores as predictors. Odds ratios (OR) and…
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