Sleep Problems in Children with Autism and ADHD: A Comparative Study of Effects on Communication Skills

This comparative study examined sleep disturbances in 122 children (ages 7-12) across three groups: typically developing, ASD, and ADHD, finding that both clinical groups experienced significantly more sleep disorders than controls, with ADHD showing greater sleep breathing problems. Sleep difficulties partially mediated the relationship between symptom severity and communication skills in both ASD and ADHD groups, suggesting sleep assessment is important when evaluating communication in these conditions.