The prevalence of sleep problems among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study

Background: Sleep problems are common among children with neurodevelopmental disorders; however, the mothers sleep status of these children was not sufficiently investigated. Objectives: Measure the sleep quality of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to mothers of children who have no ASD. Materials and Methods: Participants included mothers of children 3–17 years old children with ASD n = 77 and an equal number of mothers recruited from the community who have a child without ASD with similar age group. Both groups completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) and Excessive Sleep Scale (ESS). Results: The sleep quality of mothers with ASD children was not significantly different compared to mothers with TD children. Poor sleep quality was associated with the status of the mother’s employment according to ESS. Conclusion: The status of the mother’s employment is a determinant factor whether sleep quality is poor or good and not the presence of a difficult child. The association of employment with the mother’s mental health should be investigated.