Potential of Physical Activity-Based Intervention on Sleep in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sleep problems are widespread, and sleep disorders are frequent in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Physical activities (PA) are considered a practical, non-pharmacological approach for improving sleep. This study aims to explore the impact of PA on sleep in children with or without ASD. Seventy-five children were recruited, including 57 children with ASD and 18 typically developing (TD) children as control. Participants wore an accelerometer monitor (Sense Wear® Pro Armband 3, Body media) for 6 consecutive days and nights to assess sleep and PA. The results indicated ASD children had limited participation in PA compared with TD children (Total time for PA: 156 ± 79 vs. 216 ± 59 minutes on weekdays; 145 ± 93 vs. 178 ± 108 minutes on weekend). The children usually had more opportunities to participate in PA on weekdays and they tended to resist recommended bedtime (Sleep duration: 7.0 ± 0.8 vs. 9.6 ± 1.2 hours with ASD children; 7.1 ± 0.7 vs. 9.5 ± 1 hours with TD children). It also reported PA with moderate to vigorous intensity was better to improve sleep in children both with and without ASD. Finally, this study recommended promoting PA will help to improve sleep quality and reduce sedentary behaviors for children with ASD in particular and children in general