Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Sleep in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, often associated with co-occurring sleep disturbances. Children with ASD frequently experience sleep disruptions, which can worsen core symptoms and challenging behaviors. Sensory processing difficulties, commonly observed in children with ASD, may contribute to these sleep problems. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of sensory processing patterns on sleep disturbances among children with ASD aged 3 to 11 years.Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study design was employed with 74 children diagnosed with ASD. Child Sensory Profile-2 was used to assess sensory processing, and sleep disturbances were evaluated with the Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire. Partial Spearman’s rank correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between sensory processing and sleep disturbances.Results: Partial Spearman’s rank correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between all four quadrants of the Child Sensory Profile-2 (seeking, avoiding, sensitivity, and registration), as well as sensory sections (auditory, touch, movement, body position, and oral) and sleep disturbances (p≤0.05) while controlling for severity of autism. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sensory avoidance behavior significantly predicted overall sleep disturbance scores in children with ASD (β=0.414, p=0.003).Conclusion: The study found that sensory avoiding demonstrates a significant association with sleep problems in children with ASD. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating sensory processing assessments in clinical evaluations of ASD children with sleep problems and suggest that sensory-based interventions may help improve their sleep quality.