How Autism Affects sleep in children
To understand how autism affects sleep, we first need to understand a little bit about Autism and the neurological differences which affect sleep.
Did you know 1 in every 64 children have identified with or have a diagnosis of autism?
(This number is likely to be much higher as many people are not yet diagnosed) The truth is, if your child is having a review or is already diagnosed, you are definitely not alone! It’s so easy at times to feel isolated and unsupported, but with community groups and a solid support network you can gain essential knowledge on how to help support your child successfully. It’s not always smooth sailing, but long-term results can be achieved with the right guidance. Firstly, it’s important to know there is no one type of autism as it refers to a broad range of conditions. These can include challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech difficulties and impairments and non-verbal communication. It’s also important to identify a higher percentage of autistic children also struggle with anxiety. All of these, plus so many more factors and traits will affect your child’s sleep. It is so important they are taken into consideration when finding the right sleep solutions for your child. This is often part of the reason to why traditional sleep methods don’t work for many autistic children.
When it comes to sleep, we all know how important it is to get the recommended number of hours each night right?
But what happens when the sleep methods you may have tried don’t work for your child and they still aren’t getting enough sleep?
Sleep deprivation can cause a number of issues including;
- Concentrations problems
- Impulse control issues
- Risk of depression
- Aggression issues
- Risk of Anxiety
Without sufficient sleep, children (and adults) are at a much higher risk of these, and each of these factors in turn, can cause lack of sleep. No wonder our children are struggling to sleep. The cycle needs to be broken in order to achieve any progress! This obviously, not an easy thing to do. Scientific research suggests a deep dive analysis of personality and traits will need to be considered alongside looking at anxiety build up and routine. Without these, sleep can continue to be complex and difficult for many children and their families. Frustrating as this sounds, the good news is that there are solutions that actually work! I myself have continued to use my bespoke sleep methods for my own son (who was diagnosed at 5 years old) and had many sleep battles when younger. Since certifying as a sleep consultant and using my bespoke sleep methods, he now takes only 30 minutes to fall asleep every night and sleeps through. No more two-hour battles for him to fall asleep, no more visits from him through the night. Want to know the key to success? Bespoke sleep solutions and packages. I can’t emphasise how important this is for long term success.
Does Autism Cause a lack of sleep?
Being autistic doesn’t cause a lack of sleep in itself. Some autistic children sleep really well indeed. However, statistics show that up to 80% of autistic children struggle with sleep. The reasons for this vary depending on the person, however scientific research suggests that many autistic people produce much lower melatonin levels than someone without autism. If you are unaware of what melatonin is then let me explain. Melatonin is naturally produced toward the later half of the day, into the evening. This is what makes us feel sleepy in the evening and allows us to naturally fall into a deep sleep at bed time. If not enough melatonin is produced, then it is very likely your child will struggle to ‘switch off’ in the evening and can take hours for them to fall asleep – regardless of how much they do during the day.
Another factor to consider is that sometimes autistic children may have a dysregulated circadian rhythm. This is really important as it tell the brain night time is for sleeping and daylight is work waking. If your circadian rhythm doesn’t function in a logical way, then the body is confused and can result in a child waking in the middle of the night wide awake. Not good for anyone! There are things we can do to help with this though – so panic over!
How do children and toddlers with autism sleep?
There are a number of things to try to help your child to sleep better. Many people discuss with their paediatrician melatonin supplements to help their child fall asleep easier at night. This is a completely personal choice and I would recommend you read all the information on melatonin before making a decision.
You may end up trying many different techniques over the years, many of which will see little or no improvement in their child’s sleep. It’s incredibly challenging and frustrating for parents and carers to see little progress when you work so hard. As mentioned earlier, it’s vital to look at the individual child’s autistic traits and personality and work with them rather than fitting them into a traditional sleep routine.
How to improve sleep for infants with autism
Sleep is complex. Autism is complex. There is no miracle potion to give you. It takes dedication, consistency and the right methods in order to see sleep improve. The good news is, it can improve with the right guidance! The parents / carers I work with see improvements within a week due to specialist sleep solutions that work for them, their child and their family routine. One size really doesn’t fit all. Each child is so different and will need individual methods to suit their needs. This can include sensory needs, routines that work for them, reducing anxiety and improvement in communication; to mention just a few. Each element is crucial to success and long-term sleep solutions.
The Good News!
Want to know some good news? There are sleep methods that actually work! These are tried and tested and actually help children improve sleep, concentration, behaviour and all things that link back to lack of sleep.
Let’s find the right solution for your child today!
Book a Free Discovery Call with me and let’s find the right methods for your child.
