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Disruptive mealtime behaviors, dietary supplements, and hyperactivity/noncompliance predict clinically significant insomnia symptoms in young children with autism spectrum disorder.

In a sample of 103 children with autism (mean age 5.8 years, 77.7% male), 33% had clinically significant insomnia symptoms (PAIRS ≥ 22). After adjusting for confounders, disruptive mealtime behaviors, parent health-related quality of life and family functioning, ABC subscales, and dietary supplements were significantly associated with insomnia symptoms; best subset modeling identified ABC hyperactivity/noncompliance, dietary supplements, and mealtime behaviors as the most significant predictors (ROC = 0.842).

Last updated: Jul 7, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score34/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Clinical Correlates of Insomnia Symptoms in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

observational

Wenzell ML, Pulver SL, Scahill L, Davidson T, Rajagopal S, Gillespie S, Huang T, Griggs S, Roark C, Patil M, Patel M, Sharp WG · The Journal of pediatrics (2025)

Participants: N/A
Duration: N/A (cross-sectional)
Intervention: Observational assessment of clinical correlates; no intervention tested.
Outcome: Insomnia symptoms measured by PAIRS score ≥22.
Effect Size: N/A (odds ratios not reported in abstract; best subset model AUC = 0.842)
Population: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ages 2-10, mean 5.8 years) from a general outpatient autism clinic.

Result:

PubMed: 40962108DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114812

Mechanism Graph

Disruptive mealtime behaviors may contribute to sleep disruption through behavioral arousal or gastrointestinal discomfort
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Hyperactivity/noncompliance may reflect underlying dysregulation that impairs sleep initiation or maintenance
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Dietary supplement use may indicate underlying nutritional or metabolic issues affecting sleep
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Result: These factors collectively predict clinically significant insomnia symptoms in autistic children

Limitations

  • ⚠Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference
  • ⚠Reliance on parent-report measures (PAIRS, ABC) may introduce reporting bias
  • ⚠Sample size (n=103) limits generalizability and power for subgroup analyses

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PAIRS cutoff used to define clinically significant insomnia?▼

The study used a PAIRS score ≥ 22 to define clinically significant insomnia symptoms, which identified 33% of the sample.

Were there any differences in height, weight, or constipation between children with and without insomnia?▼

No, the study found no group differences in height, weight, constipation, or demographics.

What were the strongest predictors of insomnia in this study?▼

The best subset model identified ABC hyperactivity/noncompliance, dietary supplement use, and disruptive mealtime behaviors as the most significant predictors.

Is this study applicable to all children with autism?▼

The sample was from a general outpatient autism clinic with a mean age of 5.8 years and predominantly male (77.7%), so results may not generalize to older children, females, or those in specialized settings.

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References

  1. 1.Wenzell ML, Pulver SL, Scahill L, Davidson T, Rajagopal S, Gillespie S, Huang T, Griggs S, Roark C, Patil M, Patel M, Sharp WG. "Clinical Correlates of Insomnia Symptoms in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.." The Journal of pediatrics, 2025. PMID: 40962108 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114812
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.