Table 1.
Application of weighted blankets in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
| Country | Sample characteristics | Study design (intervention duration) | Primary outcomes | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish (26) | 21 children aged 8–13 years with ADHD vs 21 healthy control subjects | Case-control study (14 days) |
Reduced sleep onset latency*; Activity level (ns); Attention (ns); Behavioural disturbance symptoms (ns) |
Positive |
| England (27) | 67 children aged 5–16 years with ASD and severe sleep problems | Randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design (4 weeks) |
Better subjective feeling*; Total sleep time (ns); Sleep-onset latency (ns); Sleep efficiency (ns) |
Uncertain |
| USA (28) | Two children with ASD and sensory over responsivity | Single case, multiple baseline design (14 days) |
Improvements in time to fall asleep, number of wakings, hours of sleep, and morning mood | Positive |
| USA (29) | Two children with ASD and sensory over responsivity | Intervention study (14 days) |
Improvements in hours of sleep, morning mood, and waking times in the intervention phase; Reduced hours of sleep, a more agitated mood, and increased waking times in the withdrawal phase |
Positive |
| Sweden (22) | 85 individuals with ADHD and/or ASD | Retrospective follow-up study | Improved abilities related to falling asleep, sleeping the whole night, relaxing during the day; Improved morning/evening daily routine |
Positive |
| Danish (30) | 36 children aged 8–13 years with ADHD | Intervention study (8 weeks) |
Improved sleep onset latency*; Reduced score on core symptoms of ADHD*; Increased daily level of functioning and the quality of life* |
Positive |
| Switzerland (31) |
24 parents of children with ADHD and sleep problems | Qualitative study (16 weeks) |
Improvements in achieving satisfactory sleep; achieving overall well-being; mastering everyday life |
Positive |
| Sweden (32) | 1785 adult individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis | Population-based register study (12 months) |
The proportion of patients without a prescription of sleep medication increased by 3.3%*; Melatonin prescription increased by 3.6%*; ADHD was associated with decreased use of sleep medication* |
Positive |
| USA (15) | Two 4-year-old children with ASD | Single-subject design study (14 days) |
Enhanced morning mood; Decreased time to fall asleep |
Positive |
| Sweden (33) | 26 children aged 6-15 years with ADHD and sleeping difficulties | Qualitative study (16 weeks) |
Improvements in emotional regulation, sleep routines, sleep quality, and everyday participation | Positive |
*P < 0.05.
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder; ns, non-significant.