Sleep Information
- toddlerswithtism
- Nov 30, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 11, 2024
😴 Sleep Information for Children with Autism Feel free to comment what tips work for you below!
🥱 Toddlers and children with autism often have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. While the exact cause is unknown, there are many theories as to why your kiddo may not be getting a restful sleep.
As a result, this lack of sleep can cause an influx of other issues such as aggression, irritability, and increased behavioral problems to name a few.
As for parents, a lack of sleep for your child also means a lack of sleep for you. This can add tremendous stress to families' lives.
⁉️ How to determine if your child may have a sleeping disorder ⁉️
Sleep with some Autistic children can be abnormal. Sometimes people say they lack the melatonin that our bodies naturally make. Some could be due to Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, or other issues.
🛌 If you suspect your child may have a sleep condition:
👩⚕️ Consult your doctor. The first step will always be to consult your pediatrician with any concerns you may have. They can refer you to a sleep specialist or other related specialists. You can get a sleep study done without having a sleep doctor. While awaiting the appointment, start a sleep diary.
📔 Keep a sleep diary for a week and track how much and when your child is sleeping. Take note of breathing patterns and movement. Include information like when they go to sleep, things you have tried, and the bedtime routine you follow or have tried.
😪 Insomnia in children is defined as a sleep delay of more than 30 minutes at night, per night on average, and/or frequent nighttime waking. Every child is different, and some will require more or less sleep than others.
😴 Sleep Study 😴
A sleep study is good to have. It can provide insight into why your child isn't sleeping. Everyone needs their sleep. It's essential to good health. Living on no sleep or broken sleep is not good for anyone. During the sleep study, they hook up different machines to the child to monitor their movements, their heart, their brainwaves, and their sleep cycle to determine what could be going on and if it may lead to further diagnosis. Once you get the results, they may discuss medication. Medication isn't a bad thing. It can help your child in forming better sleep habits. https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/health-wellbeing/sleep/sleep-problems-children-with-asd
😌 When it comes to naps, your child may not need one or may need one depending on the day. It also depends on the child. Do not force your child to take naps. This can create negative associations with bedtime and it’s best to avoid this.
🤗 Create healthy bedtime routines, and positive associations towards sleeping and nap time. Start your routine at least an hour before bedtime.
🤾♂️ Try to avoid anything that will excite your child within an hour of bedtime. Ideally, you want them to wind down and be relaxed and calm by bedtime.
🧘♀️ Try a calming activity before bedtime such as puzzles, books, blocks, pillow talk, stamping, play-doh, sensory play, swinging, or hammock play.
🛁 You can use calming bubble baths/soaps to help facilitate their bedtime routine. 🪟 Try to have a dark room for your child. Any sort of light that may even be peaking through could wake your kiddo/cause disruption in sleep. Blackout curtains can help keep a room super dark.
💡On the other end, your child may be afraid of the dark. Getting a nightlight can help. Let them pick it out themselves to enhance the experience overall. Some children enjoy light projectors which are a great sensory version of a nightlight.
📣 Have white noise such as a fan, a sound machine, etc.
🥶 Make sure the temperature of the room fits your child’s sensory needs.
🛌 Potentially change your child’s bed/sleeping area. Some things that have worked for some are crib mattresses on the floor, playpens, and tent beds (which can be approved through insurance).
👕 You can also try weighted blankets, compression sheets, and compression sleepwear.
💡 Talk to your doctor or psychologist about bright light therapy
🧦 Try out different clothing. Your kiddo could be warm and need to sleep in a diaper/undies. Your child could also be cold and not having extra layers on could be keeping them awake.
🌮 Try to have your child eat within an hour before bed. Chances are, if they are hungry they won’t be interested in sleeping. Lack of hunger queues is common for autism and could be a sensory issue, amongst other things. We always suggest you offer.
📺 TRY to avoid screen time an hour before bedtime. We know this isn’t always possible and not a battle we all want to pick. If your child must use their tablet make it as least stimulating as possible. Turn the brightness down, turn the sound down to a minimum, and if you can, turn on the device's blue light filter.
📌 We do not recommend melatonin without your pediatrician's approval for the reasons listed below.
💊 What Is Melatonin?
The FDA does not regulate supplements like melatonin so the quality can vary. Before you try melatonin or any other sleep aids, consult your doctor.
☀️ Melatonin is a hormone our brains produce naturally. It is linked to feeling sleepy and being able to fall asleep. We usually have a low level of melatonin circulating during the day. Then, our brains produce more of it close to the time we should go to sleep. The melatonin in supplements is similar to the kind our brains already make. Taking a small dose of it an hour or so before bedtime can help signal to our brains and bodies that it's time to go to sleep.
🤕 Short-term side effects of melatonin include headaches, increased bedwetting, nightmares, mood changes, and morning grogginess. There are no long-term studies on the effects of melatonin, however, some experts question whether melatonin could affect adolescent hormone production in the future.
🚫 We do not ever recommend giving your child Benadryl to make them sleep. Benadryl is an allergy medication and the side effects of taking it are drowsiness. Incorrect dosing can be lethal to children. It is also known to have the opposite effect instead of causing restlessness, anxiety, and aggression.
⏰ The amount of sleep recommended for children, by age:
🔹️ Ages 1-3: 12-14 hours of sleep per day (take into account whether your child naps)
🔹️ Ages 3-6: 10-12 hours of sleep per day
🔹️ Ages 7-12: 10-11 hours of sleep per day
🧠 Inertia and interoception may also play a role in your child's sleep.
🛏 Here's a link to a review describing how to make your safety bed for around $300: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRmjSfaV/
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