Sleep health of adults with cerebral palsy: A systematic review

AIM: To assess the evidence on the sleep health of adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: A comprehensive search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and EBSCO CINAHL was conducted up to February 2025. Studies providing data on sleep-related measures among adults with CP were included. Data were extracted on study design, demographics, sleep assessment methods, and sleep-related findings. Risk of bias was assessed using a tool designed for prevalence studies. RESULTS: From 2778 search records, 13 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were published between 2015 and 2025 and conducted in the USA (n = 3), Europe (n = 7), Republic of Korea (n = 2), and Brazil (n = 1). Measures of sleep, sleep disorders, and sleep disturbances included clinical diagnoses, polysomnographic readings, and self-reported sleep questionnaires. Findings suggest sleep-related problems may be common, with some evidence pointing to higher rates than in adults without CP. However, most results were inconclusive due to small sample sizes and methodological variability. INTERPRETATION: This review highlights a significant evidence gap with respect to the sleep health of adults with CP. This emphasizes the need for targeted research to generate generalizable data, with the potential to inform policy and clinical interventions to enhance sleep health and related quality of life of adults with CP.