Autism and Sleep: 3 Tips You Need to Improve Sleep Issues

Free Workshop

Increase Talking &
Decrease Tantrums

in Young Children with

Autism &/or Speech Delays

Autism and sleep. It is a topic my husband told me I could never include in my first book because at the time, our 10 year old son Lucas, was still sleeping in our bed and waking up at night.

Luckily, another behavior analyst gave me some tips almost 20 years ago now and I not only solved Lucas’ sleep issues but I have helped many other families with their autism and sleep challenges using these 3 tips.

In this episode, I dive into the common sleep problems many children face, especially those with autism or speech delays.

In this episode, I dive into the common sleep problems many children face, especially those with autism or speech delays.

Drawing from my own experience with my son Lucas, who struggled with sleep for eight years, I share effective solutions that worked for us.

I talk about the importance of consistent behavioral strategies, like keeping my bedroom door locked and calmly walking the child back to their room.

I also highlight how prevalent sleep disorders are in children with special needs and provide resources like my autism and sleep Kindle ebook to guide you. By following these steps, I’m confident you can see significant improvements in your child’s sleep, sometimes within just a few nights.

You’ll Learn

  • Autism and Sleep: Why do autistic kids struggle with sleep?
  • Common autism sleep issues
  • Sleep issues I faced with my son Lucas
  • The 3 steps I used to solve sleep in 3 nights
  • Autism and Sleep: A new ebook to help you individualize and tackle sleep
  • Top autism and sleep questions

Why Do Children With Autism Struggle With Sleep?

Children with autism often struggle with sleep due to a combination of physiological, neurological, and behavioral factors. Here are some key reasons according to the National Autistic Society articles on sleep:

autism and sleep. why do autism sleep issues happen?
Sleep problems for children with autism are common, but why?
  1. Difficulty Settling and Winding Down: Many autistic children find it challenging to relax and prepare for sleep. This can be due to heightened anxiety, difficulty transitioning between activities, and issues with winding down at the end of the day
  2. Irregular Melatonin Levels: Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Autistic children often have irregular melatonin production, which can lead to difficulties in falling and staying asleep. This irregularity disrupts their natural sleep patterns, causing sleep onset delays and frequent awakenings. My son Lucas has been taking melatonin since he was 3 and it is suggested you discuss this with your doctor.
  3. Sensory Sensitivities: Autistic children can have heightened sensitivities to light, sound, and touch. These sensory issues can make their sleep environment uncomfortable, leading to trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. For example, the blue light from screens can inhibit melatonin production, and certain sounds or the feel of bedding can be distracting or uncomfortable.
  4. Behavioral Patterns: Inconsistent sleep routines and difficulty with changes in routine can exacerbate sleep problems. Children might also have issues understanding social cues related to bedtime, such as recognizing that it’s time to sleep when others in the household are going to bed. For Lucas, and many clients with autism or speech delays, this and medical issues seem to be the top issue.
  5. Medical and Dietary Issues: Conditions such as gastrointestinal discomfort, often related to food sensitivities or allergies, can cause sleep disturbances. Additionally, the consumption of stimulants like caffeine can further disrupt sleep patterns. If sleep disturbances are new, it is especially improtant to discuss with your doctor.

In my podcast, I share my personal experience with my son Lucas, who struggled with sleep for many years. I emphasize the importance of consistent behavioral strategies, such as keeping the bedroom door locked and calmly walking the child back to their room if they wake up.

These methods helped Lucas transition from years of sleep disturbances to sleeping through the night within just a few days. Understanding and addressing these multifaceted sleep issues can significantly improve sleep quality for children with autism, contributing to better overall health and quality of life.

What Problems Are Common When It Comes to Autism and Sleep?

Many individuals with autism and/or speech delays struggle with sleep. There are a variety of autism sleep problems I have seen through the years that my newest sleep e-book can help you tackle!

  • Frequent Night-time Awakenings: Lucas would often wake up in the middle of the night, disrupting his sleep and causing him to run into our bed. Many children with autism may wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to fall back asleep.
  • Inconsistent Bedtime Routines: The lack of a consistent bedtime routine contributed to ongoing sleep problems, as every night we tried different approaches to get Lucas back to sleep. I also often see this in families where they do not have set routines and have naps at various times of day. Naps should end by the age of 2 and last no later than 3pm.
  • Reliance on Sleep Aids: Using melatonin supplements helped Lucas fall asleep initially, but they were not effective in maintaining sleep throughout the night so this might be something you are seeing if melatonin is effective.
  • Physical Safety Concerns: Lucas’s tendency to jump into our bed in the middle of the night posed potential safety risks, especially as he grew older and larger. Other kids may wake up in the night and get in to things around the house which can be a danger.
  • Parental Exhaustion: I mentioned my own exhaustion and the impact of sleep deprivation on my wellbeing, as I was primarily responsible for managing Lucas’s sleep issues due to my husband’s work schedule. Sleep deprivation can lead to depression, chronic stress and negative moods.
  • Behavioral Issues at Bedtime: Lucas’s behavior, such as jumping into our bed and needing to be walked back to his room multiple times, created additional stress and challenges in establishing a peaceful bedtime routine. Other autism and sleep behavioral issues may include yelling, crying, property destruction if the child’s wanted routine is not followed.
  • Impact of Inconsistent Handling: The inconsistency in how nighttime awakenings were managed (sometimes allowing Lucas to stay, sometimes moving him back) likely contributed to prolonged sleep difficulties. It is important once you begin tackling sleep that you stay consistent with the routine and schedules.

Addressing autism and sleep issues is not easy. It takes consistency and a strong plan but with the follow tips, you can begin tackling sleep at home.

How Can You Start Treating Autism and Sleep Problems at Home?

Here are the top 3 tips to changing your child’s sleep.

autism and sleep. Sleep ebook to solve autism sleep issues
Sleep Ebook to help you tackle sleep problems at home NOW

Before beginning any intervention it is important to get a full picture of a child’s development with a quick assessment. It is also important to complete the sleep assessment found here as well so that you can identify your top needs when it comes to dealing with sleep.

  1. Preventing Bed Entry:
    • I learned that not letting Lucas into our bed was crucial. This meant locking my bedroom door to prevent him from running in during the night. This step was vital to establish that our bed was off-limits, which helped him stay in his own bed.
  2. Calmly Returning to Bed:
    • Whenever Lucas woke up and came to our door, I would calmly walk him back to his room. This involved minimal interaction and consistent reinforcement that he needed to stay in his bed. I would reassure him with a promise of a small reward in the morning for staying in his bed.
  3. Using Positive Reinforcement:
    • I used positive reinforcement to encourage Lucas to sleep in his own bed. This included promising him a special treat in the morning if he stayed in his bed all night. Over time, this consistent reinforcement helped him understand and follow the new sleep routine.

By following these steps, we were able to improve Lucas’s sleep dramatically within just a few nights. At this point, Lucas was 10 and did have a TV in his room where he would watch his VHS tapes. I did not remove the TV from the room as our main goal was to stop from night waking and wandering but the TV had become a sleep dependency for falling asleep.

A sleep dependency is when you fall asleep with something on, a pacifier or someone touching you, when you wake up and it isn’t there, you may struggle to fall back asleep. This is why if you are laying with your child to go to sleep, this is a first step to tackling, remove yourself slowly from the bedtime routine so that when they wake in the night they aren’t expecting you.

Treating Sleep Problems

Within my sleep ebook, now available, I discuss the step by step of what I did to solve sleep and other common ways to treat sleep. Some other considerations when treating sleep from the National Autistic Society include; Treating sleep problems in children with autism involves a multi-faceted approach that addresses the specific challenges these children face. Here are some effective strategies:

  1. Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine:
    • Create a calming and predictable bedtime routine that includes activities such as bathing, reading, or listening to soothing music. This helps signal to the child that it’s time to wind down and prepares them for sleep. It is important this happens at a consistent time each night and if there are naps.
  2. Control the Sleep Environment:
    • Adjust the child’s sleep environment to accommodate their sensory sensitivities. This may include using blackout curtains, white noise machines, or sensory-friendly bedding. Ensuring the room is cool, dark, and quiet can significantly improve sleep quality.
  3. Limit Screen Time:
    • Reduce exposure to screens (TV, tablets, smartphones) at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by these devices can interfere with melatonin production and make it harder for children to fall asleep. As I said, for us personally this was not necessary but for many kids it is important and the more physical activity during the day is good.
  4. Behavioral Interventions:
    • Implement behavioral strategies such as not allowing the child to sleep in the parents’ bed, and calmly returning them to their own bed if they wake up during the night. Consistency in these practices is crucial for success. Providing positive reinforcement for the behavior we want to see is key.
  5. Use of Melatonin:
    • Consult with a healthcare provider about the use of melatonin supplements. Melatonin can help regulate the sleep-wake cycle, although its effectiveness can vary among individuals. Always use melatonin under medical supervision.
  6. Diet and Nutrition:
    • Monitor the child’s diet to avoid stimulants such as caffeine and high-sugar foods, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime. Dietary adjustments can help reduce gastrointestinal discomfort that might disrupt sleep.
  7. Professional Support:
    • Seek advice from professionals such as pediatricians, behavior analysts, or sleep specialists. They can provide tailored strategies and support to address the child’s unique sleep challenges. Begin reading this easy ebook to start changing your child’s sleep today
  8. Sleep Diaries:
    • Keeping a sleep diary can help identify patterns and factors influencing the child’s sleep. This can be useful for adjusting strategies and for sharing with healthcare professionals to get more accurate support.

By addressing the multifaceted nature of sleep problems in children with autism, these strategies can help improve sleep quality and overall well-being for both the child and their family.

Top Autism and Sleep Questions

Recently I did an episode explaining the top 5 questions I get about autism and sleep. Grab the top questions and answers here including what to do if your child won’t sleep alone, is having night terrors or night wakings, or what to do if your child with autism is having early morning wakings!

Resources

Free Workshop

Increase Talking &
Decrease Tantrums

in Young Children with

Autism &/or Speech Delays

Ready to Start Turning Autism (or Signs of Autism) Around?
Ready to Start Turning Autism
(or Signs of Autism) Around?

Get started with Dr. Mary Barbera’s proven strategies and take the next step toward real progress today.