Effects of Sensory Garments on Sleep of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Lisa Mische Lawson, Lauren Foster, Morgan Hodges and 3 others
PMID 35241995WHAT IT FOUND
Four children with autism wore compression t-shirts.
Results were inconsistent. The oldest child, who sought more sensory input, showed improved sleep onset. The three younger children showed no consistent benefit. Parents reported increased stress related to getting the children to wear the garment.
Key findings
01The oldest child with hyposensitive sensory patterns experienced the most consistent improvement in sleep latency, while the three younger children did not show consistent improvements.
02Parent stress levels increased or remained high during intervention phases, often due to the effort of encouraging children to wear the garment.
03Data collection was difficult; two children could not tolerate the sleep-tracking watch, and missing data occurred due to technical issues and family circumstances.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=4) limits generalizability. Concurrent treatments and medications were not controlled (e.g., one child started guanfacine during the study). Objective data collection was compromised by poor tolerance of the watch in two children and technical issues. The study occurred during the early COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected family routines and stress levels. Volunteer sample may have been more motivated than typical families.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the University of Kansas Medical Center.
The easy way to misread this
Do not recommend compression garments as a standalone solution for sleep issues in children with autism. The evidence here is weak and inconsistent, and the intervention may increase parental stress if the child finds it uncomfortable or difficult to wear.