Frequency and nature of sleep disturbances amongst children with cerebral palsy in Northern Ireland: A cross-sectional study.
Almost half of Northern Irish kids with cerebral palsy meet the clinical cut-off for sleep disturbance—screen every child.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McCavert et al. (2026) asked parents of children with cerebral palsy in Northern Ireland to fill out the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children.
They wanted to know how many kids with CP have sleep problems and if age, sex, or CP severity matter.
No kids were given an intervention; this was a one-time survey.
What they found
Using today’s cut-off, 43% of the children scored in the clinical range for sleep disturbance.
When the team used older, looser norms, the number jumped to 74%.
Neither age, sex, nor how severe the CP was predicted who had sleep trouble.
How this fits with other research
Baker et al. (2025) looked at rare genetic disorders and also used the SDSC. They found that mood, anxiety, sensory issues, and age shaped sleep problems. Mary-Elaine saw no link with age or severity, so the CP picture looks flatter than in rare NGDs.
Greene et al. (2019) surveyed Korean children with Down syndrome and found 83% had sleep problems, close to the 74% historical figure in the CP study. Both papers show most kids with motor/ID conditions sleep poorly.
O'Reilly et al. (2004) went beyond counting: one brief paired-choice test showed a girl’s sleep was kept awake by mom’s attention. Their single-case design gives clinicians a next step after Mary-Elaine’s prevalence alarm bell rings.
Why it matters
If you work with children who have CP, plan to screen sleep at every intake. Use a short tool like the SDSC or even the DASH-II sleep subscale validated by Lecavalier et al. (2006). When scores are high, run a quick functional assessment like O'Reilly et al. (2004) before writing a behavior plan. Treating sleep can boost daytime learning and cut parent stress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at increased risk of sleep disturbances due to the condition and associated comorbidities. Although prevalence varies across countries and cultures, UK-specific data are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the frequency and nature of sleep disturbances in children with CP in Northern Ireland (NI) and to explore associations with child, sociodemographic, or CP-related characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with parents of children aged 3-18 years with CP. The survey included the validated Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and questions on family demographics. Sample characteristics were compared with age-matched children from the NI Cerebral Palsy Register. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and multivariate linear regressions. RESULTS: Valid responses were obtained from 111 families, and the sample was broadly representative of the CP population in Northern Ireland. A high prevalence of sleep disturbance was observed: 43 % of children met clinical criteria based on contemporary SDSC norms and 74 % using historical norms. The most frequent types of sleep disorder were Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep and Sleep-Wake Transition Disorders. No significant associations were found between SDSC scores and child age, sociodemographic, or clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first UK study to quantify the frequency and nature of sleep disturbances in children with CP using the SDSC. Findings indicate the need for health professionals to routinely enquire about sleep and provide targeted support. Further population-based research is required to understand family sleep experiences over time and inform multidisciplinary intervention and policy.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105255