Objectives This study aimed to 1) determine what kind of care for children with disabilities is related to the mothers' sleep and mental well-being and 2) objectively measure the sleep state of mothers responsible for children with disabilities.Methods A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 180 mothers of children enrolled in the Special Needs Education School in prefecture A. Amongst these, nine who provided consent underwent objective sleep measurements using actigraphy. The questionnaire investigated the lifestyle and the type of care needed for children with disabilities and their influence on the mothers. Subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and mental well-being status (General Health Questionnaire) of the mothers were also evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the background factors affecting sleep quality and mental health.Results Of the 180 participants, 84 (46.7%) provided valid responses. Fifty-two (64.2%) and 34 (42.0%) individuals subjectively reported poor sleep quality and poor mental well-being, respectively. Mothers having responsibilities of oxygen therapy and night care reported significantly poor sleep quality and mental well-being. Moreover, objective sleep measurements showed that the changes in the child's physical condition, such as ventilator management, epileptic seizures, and fever, resulted in prolonged waking times and affected the sleep efficiency of the mother.Conclusion Responsibilities toward providing oxygen therapy and night care for their children with disabilities influenced the sleep quality and mental well-being of the mothers. Thus, it is important to provide support to mothers caring such disabled children.
Keywords: disabled children; mental well-being; mother; night care; oxygen therapy; sleep quality.