Bedtime Regularity and Sleep Sufficiency in Children with Tourette Syndrome

Objective Despite research demonstrating sleep disturbance in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS), few studies have examined bedtime regularity and sleep sufficiency, two important sleep health dimensions. Therefore, this study examined bedtime regularity and sleep sufficiency in children with TS relative to matched healthy controls, and its associated demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. Method Participants were 384 parents or caregivers of children aged 3 to 17 years, including 192 with current TS and 192 matched healthy controls drawn from the 2020-2021 cycle of the National Survey of Children’s Health. Parents completed questions assessing demographics (i.e., age, race, sex), clinical (i.e., ADHD, ASD, anxiety, depression, tic severity, behavioral or conduct problems, ADHD medication, health-condition related impairment), and behavioral (i.e., screen time) characteristics. Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test of independence were performed to compare groups on bedtime regularity and sleep sufficiency, respectively. Ordinal regression and binary logistic regression without and with backward elimination were performed to evaluate indicators of bedtime regularity and sleep sufficiency, respectively, in children with TS. Results Children with current TS had significantly poorer bedtime regularity, but not sleep sufficiency, relative to matched healthy controls. In children with TS, anxiety and two or more hours of daily screen time were associated with higher likelihood of poor bedtime regularity. Autism was associated with lower likelihood of insufficient sleep, and depression was associated with increased likelihood of insufficient sleep. Conclusions Findings put forth screen time, anxiety, and depression as intervention targets to optimize sleep health in children with TS.