Parent survey of sleep problems among children with CHARGE syndrome

Sleep problems are common among children, especially those with developmental disabilities, visual impairments, and behavioral problems. Past research has indicated a particularly high prevalence of clinically-relevant sleep problems for children with CHARGE syndrome, who often possess all three of these qualities. To gather additional information regarding the nature of these sleep problems and how they are most commonly treated amongst parents, an explorative survey was conducted with 30 parents of children with CHARGE syndrome with comorbid sleep problems using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children, as well as demographic and sleep questionnaires developed for use in this study. Our findings indicated that problems of sleep initiation and maintenance were most commonly reported, consistent with previous research. Parents most often reported the following factors suspected of contributing to sleep problems: self-regulation difficulties, teeth grinding, hormonal imbalance, problem behaviors, and anxiety. The most commonly administered treatments were reported to be the use of positive bedtime routines, melatonin treatment, the use of a weighted blanket, and prescription medications, respectively. While parents reported overall that they felt all three of these intervention strategies were slightly effective at improving their child's sleep problem, the use of positive bedtime routines and melatonin treatment were perceived as more effective by parents. These results aid professionals in the selection of future research and intervention strategies to recommend for parents of children with CHARGE syndrome.