Pediatric selective mutism and sleep disorders: A pilot restrospective case control-study

Introduction: Selective mutism (SM) is characterized by the persistent inability to speak in some specific contexts (i.e. school, home, social contexts) or within interaction with peer group and/or adults when a normal verbal linguistic competence may be expected, according to DSM5 criteria. The main sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders are represented by difficulty in falling asleep at night (51%) and nocturnal awakenings (67%).The main goal of the present study is verify the putative relationship between sleep disorders and selective mutism in children.Materials and methods: 30 children were diagnosed with SM (13 males and 17 females) with mean age 9.47 (SD +/- 12…