Sleep in tic disorders and Tourette syndrome

Up to 80% of patients with tic disorders and Tourette syndrome experience sleep difficulties.

• Insomnia is particularly prevalent among these patients.
• Pediatric patients often experience parasomnias, such as sleepwalking and night terrors.
• Disruptions in circadian rhythms are observed, with a tendency for a pronounced evening chronotype.
• Sleep-related movement disorders may also be present, and tics can persist during sleep, contributing to sleep fragmentation.
• Comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may further worsen sleep disturbances.
• Genetic and neurobiologic evidence indicates shared mechanisms involving the dopaminergic system that link tic manifestations and sleep disruptions.

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