Exploratory analyses of sleep intraindividual variability and fatigue in parents of children on the autism spectrum
Authors: Hayse Braden , A. Stearns Melanie , Mazurek Micah O , Curtis Ashley F , Nair Neetu , Chan Wai Sze , Munoz Melissa , D. McGovney Kevin , Beversdorf David Q , Golzy Mojgan , A. Sohl Kristin , Ner Zarah H , Davis Beth Ellen , Takahashi Nicole , McCrae Christina S 
Published: November 2024

Fatigue is associated with numerous harmful physical and mental health outcomes. Despite the established relationship between sleep and fatigue, research examining sleep variability within a person (i.e. intraindividual variability; IIV) and fatigue is limited. In addition, the associations between child and parent sleep regarding parent fatigue have not been explicitly explored, which could be relevant for parents of autistic children with increased sleep disturbance likelihood. The current study used two weeks of objective sleep (actigraphy) and subjective fatigue data from 81 parents and their children to explore associations among child sleep IIV, parent sleep IIV, and parent average daily fatigue, including evaluating evidence for mediation. Sleep IIV was estimated using a validated Bayesian model. Linear regression analyses indicated that greater parent total sleep time IIV predicted significantly higher fatigue levels. Child sleep IIV was unrelated to parent sleep IIV and fatigue, unsupportive of hypothesized mediation. Similarly, post hoc analyses examining child sleep averages, parent total sleep time IIV, and average parent fatigue were insignificant. Findings cautiously support the uniqueness of total sleep time IIV within parental sleep’s relationship with fatigue, independent of child sleep. Objective sleep IIV should continue to be examined in addition to average levels.

Lay abstract

Fatigue is associated with numerous harmful physical and mental health outcomes. Despite research indicating a relationship between fatigue and sleep, there has been a limited focus on how the variability of a person’s sleep may be associated with fatigue. In addition, previous studies have not explicitly explored relationships among child sleep, parent sleep, and parent fatigue. Increasing knowledge about this area of research could be particularly relevant for families with autistic children with an increased likelihood of sleep disturbances. The current study used two weeks of objective sleep (actigraphy) data and subjective ratings of parent fatigue from 81 parents and their autistic children to examine associations among child and parent within-person sleep variability regarding average parent fatigue levels. Evidence was assessed for the role of parent sleep variability in hypothesized connections between child sleep variability and parent fatigue. We found that only greater variability in parents’ total sleep time was associated with higher levels of parents’ average daily fatigue rating over the two weeks. Child sleep variability was not significantly associated with parent sleep variability or average daily fatigue. In addition, average levels of child sleep were unrelated to parent total sleep time variability and fatigue. Although cautious interpretation is required, findings support the idea that variability in total sleep time may be a unique aspect of parental sleep’s association with fatigue, independent of child sleep. In addition, sleep variability could be important to consider when examining sleep in addition to average levels of parameters like total sleep time.