Horsnell Jade, Mangar Stephen, Dimitriou Dagmara, Halstead Elizabeth J
Sleep Education and Research Laboratory, UCL Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AA, UK.
Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AA, UK.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jun 16;11(12):1780. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11121780.
Autistic children and adolescents are 40-80% more likely to experience sleep disturbances than their neurotypical peers. In the United Kingdom, melatonin is licensed for short-term usage in adults at age 55 years and above; however, it is often prescribed to autistic children and adolescents to help manage their sleep. The current study sought to understand parental experiences and their motivation of using melatonin to manage sleep disturbances of their autistic children.
The sample included 26 parents who took part in online focus groups answering questions regarding their experiences of using melatonin as a sleep treatment for their children diagnosed with autism between 4 and 18 years old.
Four main themes were identified: (i) parental perception of melatonin used as 'a naturally produced hormone'; (ii) perceived benefits of using melatonin to improve their child's sleep; (iii) administration of melatonin: dosage amount, timing and pulverising; and (iv) expectation and apprehension over melatonin use.
Some parents reported success with the use of melatonin, and others reported the effects being limited or diminishing in time. Suggestions for healthcare professionals and families regarding melatonin usage in the UK are made with respect to setting clear guidelines for usage, whilst ensuring expectations are set and managed appropriately.
自闭症儿童和青少年出现睡眠障碍的可能性比神经发育正常的同龄人高40%至80%。在英国，褪黑素被批准用于55岁及以上成年人的短期使用；然而，它经常被开给自闭症儿童和青少年以帮助管理他们的睡眠。本研究旨在了解家长使用褪黑素管理自闭症儿童睡眠障碍的经历及其动机。
样本包括26名家长，他们参加了在线焦点小组，回答有关他们使用褪黑素作为4至18岁被诊断为自闭症儿童的睡眠治疗方法的经历的问题。
确定了四个主要主题：（i）家长对褪黑素作为“天然产生的激素”的认知；（ii）使用褪黑素改善孩子睡眠的感知益处；（iii）褪黑素的服用：剂量、时间和粉碎；以及（iv）对使用褪黑素的期望和担忧。
一些家长报告使用褪黑素取得了成功，而另一些家长则报告其效果有限或随时间减弱。针对英国医疗保健专业人员和家庭在褪黑素使用方面提出了建议，包括制定明确的使用指南，同时确保期望得到适当设定和管理。
