The Impact of Aquatic Exercise on Sleep Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often demonstrate disturbed sleep behaviors that negatively impact daytime behavior. The purpose of this study was: 1) To determine if participation in aquatic exercise improves sleep duration in children with ASD, and 2) to examine the social validity of the intervention. A within-subjects crossover design over an 8 week period was used. Participants were assigned to the intervention (aquatic exercise 2x/ week for 1 hour) or the control (no exercise) condition for 4 weeks; they then switched conditions for 4 weeks. Sleep habits were recorded using the EMFIT QS sleep monitor. The IRP-15 was administered to parents after completion of the intervention to establish social validity. Mean sleep duration for intervention versus control was compared using the Wilcoxon-Signed Ranks Test. Statistically significant improvements (p=0.012) in sleep duration were observed (intervention:  9.27 hours vs control 8.37 hours). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze IRP-15 data indicating the majority of parents strongly agreed that aquatic exercise had a positive effect on their child’s sleep. Results suggest that participation in an aquatic exercise program may lead to improved sleep duration in children with ASD, and is a socially valid intervention.