The Effect of Music Therapy on Sleep Quality in Aged 4–12 Years with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hamadan

Mousavibahar, Seyed Amirhossein; Alaee Karahroudy, Fatemeh; Mohtashami, Jamileh; Hasan Tehrani, Tayebeh

doi:10.22034/jrc.2026.145586.1039

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of psychiatric, School of Nursing and Midwifery, TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Mother and Child Care Research Center, Institute of Health Sciences and Technology, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jrc.2026.145586.1039

Abstract

Background and Objective: Sleep problems are among the most common disorders in children with autism, and music therapy has been introduced as a complementary treatment to improve sleep in these children. This study aimed to determine the effect of music therapy on sleep quality in children aged 4–12 years with autism who attended autism centers in Hamadan.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 64 children aged 4–12 years with autism who attended autism centers in the city of Hamadan. Participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. Three pieces of music were played each night for a total of 20 nights, 30 minutes before bedtime. Data were collected in both groups before and after the intervention using a demographic questionnaire and the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire developed by Owens, Spirito, and colleagues (2000). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 26.
Findings: Baseline sleep quality scores before the intervention were comparable between the two groups and showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Within-group analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in sleep quality in the music therapy group after the intervention (P < 0.05). No significant change in sleep quality was observed in the control group (P > 0.05). Between-group comparisons after the intervention and at the one-month follow-up, even after adjusting for baseline scores using ANCOVA, showed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Music therapy improved sleep quality within the intervention group of children with autism; however, no significant between-group effects were observed after the intervention or at the one-month follow-up. These findings suggest that music therapy may be useful as a complementary intervention for temporary improvement of sleep in this population.

Keywords

20.1001.1.31160344.1405.2.5.2.1

Main Subjects

Mental rehabilitation

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The Effect of Music Therapy on Sleep Quality in Aged 4–12 Years with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hamadan

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Volume 2, Issue 1 - Serial Number 5July 2026Pages 330-339

Volume 2, Issue 1 - Serial Number 5
July 2026
Pages 330-339