Sleep quality in mothers of children with cerebral palsy: the relationship between children’s gross motor function, sleep habits

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the sleep habits and gross motor skill level of children with cerebral palsy and the sleep quality of their mothers.Materials and Methods: Evaluation was made of 83 children, aged 3-18 years, with different clinical types of cerebral palsy and varying physical capabilities, and their mothers who were the carers. In the rehabilitation centres of three different cities, the children were evaluated with the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the sleep quality of their mothers with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQİ).Results: The sleep problems of 86% of the children and 84% of the mothers were determined to be poor sleep quality. The GMFCS was found to be correlated with the CSHQ (p=0.002), but not with the sleep quality of the mothers (p=0.164). A statistically significant positive correlation was determined between the PSQI score of the mothers and the total CSHQ score of the children (r=0.259, p=0.018). No statistically significant correlation was determined between the PSQI and the total sleep and waking at night scores (r=-0.087, p=0.433; r=-0.058, p=0.600). Conclusions: The sleep quality of the mothers was determined to be affected by the sleep habits of their children with cerebral palsy. Poor sleep quality can be physically and psychologically destructive in the long term for mothers who are providing care. It is therefore essential that support services related to the sleep quality of mothers are further developed.