Sleep in individuals with Angelman syndrome: parent perceptions of patterns and problems.

The diagnostic criteria for Angelman syndrome includes sleep disturbance as an associated characteristic. There are, however, few researchers who have examined sleep problems in this population. Our goal in this study was to better characterize the sleep patterns and problems in individuals with Angelman syndrome. Parents of 339 individuals between the ages of 3 and 22 completed a previously validated sleep questionnaire. Results confirmed that a variety of sleep problems exist in a significant portion of individuals with Angelman syndrome, most prominently in the areas of sleep initiation, sleep duration, reliance on sleep facilitators, being awakened by loud noises, and being disoriented when aroused. Developmental trends, syndrome specificity of findings, clinical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.