Early manifestation of sleep problems in toddlers with Williams Syndrome using a mixed method longitudinal approach.
Actigraphy shows Williams Syndrome toddlers already lag in sleep at 18 months and the gap stays open without treatment.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gwilliam et al. (2020) watched sleep in toddlers with Williams Syndrome. They used actigraphy, a small wrist watch that counts every wink and wake. They tracked the same kids from 18 months to 36 months and compared them to typically developing toddlers.
What they found
Kids with Williams Syndrome slept less and woke more. The gaps were already big at 18 months. Two years later the gaps were still there. Without help, the sleep problems stayed.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2013) saw the same poor sleep using parent diaries. Kate’s team proves the parents were right; the watch data match the diary data.
Early et al. (2012) show smaller brain surface area in the same syndrome. Bad sleep plus brain differences means you should test both domains.
Lough et al. (2016) found older kids with Williams stand too close to people. Together these papers paint one picture: early sleep, brain, and social quirks all show up young and do not fade alone.
Why it matters
Screen sleep as soon as you meet a toddler with Williams Syndrome. Share actigraphy results with families so they see real numbers. Write a behavior plan for bedtime now, not later. Better rest can lift mood, learning, and parent sanity.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders commonly experience sleep problems. Williams Syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder characterised by a complex, uneven cognitive profile, is no exception. Compared with children with typical development (TD), school-aged children with WS experience significant sleep disruption: shorter sleep duration, more night wakings, greater bedtime resistance and excessive daytime tiredness. In children with TD, sleep problems impede optimal daytime functioning. In WS, this could compound existing difficulties. Few studies have examined sleep in very young children with WS and little is known about the early emergence of sleep problems in this population. To date, studies have been based on parent-report and no studies have objectively assessed sleep patterns using longitudinal approach in toddlers with WS. Thus, the current study sought to objectively explore sleep patterns in toddlers with WS. Parents of 38 children (13 WS, 25 TD) completed the Brief Infant Screening Questionnaire and the Medical and Demographics Questionnaire and sleep patterns were assessed using actigraphy. Data were collected longitudinally at ages 18, 24 and 30 months. Significant sleep disturbances were present in WS from 18 months old. Sleep duration, as measured by actigraphy, was significantly shorter in WS at all ages and, furthermore, parents of children with WS reported more night wakings, longer settling times and high levels of parental involvement. Crucially, whereas actigraphy showed developmental improvements in sleep quality in TD, no longitudinal changes were found in WS. Findings could be instrumental in working towards instigating appropriate, timely sleep management in this group, thus improving outcomes for children and their families.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103658