Daily Dynamics of Parental Sleep Quality and Parenting in Chinese Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Daily Dynamics of Parental Sleep Quality and Parenting in Chinese Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Language: English
Authors: Hui Wang (ORCID 0000-0002-0011-8899), Peiyuan Zhao, Xiaoyi Hu (ORCID 0000-0002-6936-4799), Zhuo Rachel Han
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025 55(12):4380-4389.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Sleep, Parents, Stress Variables, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Life Satisfaction, Young Children, Foreign Countries, Intervention
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-025-06806-y
ISSN: 0162-3257
1573-3432
Abstract: High sleep quality in parents has been linked to positive parenting outcomes, including reduced parenting stress and increased life satisfaction. However, the daily dynamics of these factors remain underexplored, especially in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the reciprocal relationships between daily sleep quality, parenting stress, and life satisfaction among parents of children with ASD. Seventy-five Chinese parents (M = 36.21 years, SD = 3.77 years; 57 mothers) of children with ASD (M = 5.43 years, SD = 1.56 years; 67 boys) participated in a 14-day diary study. Parents reported their subjective sleep quality, parenting stress, and life satisfaction at the same time each day across 7 survey questions. Dynamic structural equation modeling revealed two significant autoregressive effects: parents' perceptions of parenting stress and life satisfaction on a given day tended to persist into the following day. Moreover, better-than-average sleep quality on a given night predicted lower parenting stress and higher life satisfaction the next day. However, daytime fluctuations in parenting stress and life satisfaction did not influence sleep quality that night. These preliminary findings suggest a unidirectional impact of sleep quality on perceived parenting stress and life satisfaction among these parents. Target interventions aimed at improving sleep quality, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or structured sleep hygiene programs, may be essential for reducing parenting stress and enhancing life satisfaction in parents of children with ASD. These interventions should prioritize promoting consistent sleep routines and managing stress-related sleep disruptions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492345
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:High sleep quality in parents has been linked to positive parenting outcomes, including reduced parenting stress and increased life satisfaction. However, the daily dynamics of these factors remain underexplored, especially in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the reciprocal relationships between daily sleep quality, parenting stress, and life satisfaction among parents of children with ASD. Seventy-five Chinese parents (M = 36.21 years, SD = 3.77 years; 57 mothers) of children with ASD (M = 5.43 years, SD = 1.56 years; 67 boys) participated in a 14-day diary study. Parents reported their subjective sleep quality, parenting stress, and life satisfaction at the same time each day across 7 survey questions. Dynamic structural equation modeling revealed two significant autoregressive effects: parents' perceptions of parenting stress and life satisfaction on a given day tended to persist into the following day. Moreover, better-than-average sleep quality on a given night predicted lower parenting stress and higher life satisfaction the next day. However, daytime fluctuations in parenting stress and life satisfaction did not influence sleep quality that night. These preliminary findings suggest a unidirectional impact of sleep quality on perceived parenting stress and life satisfaction among these parents. Target interventions aimed at improving sleep quality, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or structured sleep hygiene programs, may be essential for reducing parenting stress and enhancing life satisfaction in parents of children with ASD. These interventions should prioritize promoting consistent sleep routines and managing stress-related sleep disruptions.
ISSN:0162-3257
1573-3432
DOI:10.1007/s10803-025-06806-y