Sleep, executive functions, and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder: different patterns of association with lower- and higher-level repetitive behaviors

Background

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RBs) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the mechanisms underlying different RB subtypes remain poorly understood. The present study investigated the differential contribution of executive functions (EFs) to lower- and higher-level RBs in autistic children and explored whether specific EF domains mediated the relationship between sleep disturbances and RBs.