Help, My Toddler is Waking Up at Night! And Other Frequently Asked Questions about Sleep Issues in Autism

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in Young Children with

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Trouble sleeping can be quite common for children with autism. I am frequently asked sleep questions in our online community. This week, Kelsey General is back for another episode to discuss FAQ all about sleep and what you can do to help your child sleep in their own beds and through the night!

Baby or Toddler Won’t Sleep Alone

Depending on what sleep has always looked like for a young baby or child, they may have become dependent on sleeping with the parent, a pacifier, a bottle, feeding to sleep etc. The first step when working on any sleep changes is assessing the child and asking specific questions about them in relation to sleep.

Is your child having problems falling asleep?
Are they taking naps? How many naps?
Are they having frequent wake ups?
How old is the child?
How much sleep are they getting vs how much they should be getting?
How many times should a baby feed through the day or night?
How long should their awake time be?
How long are they napping Where are they napping?
What does their bedtime routine look like?
Is their room safe?

All of these answers will vary for each child, their age, and their routines. But once you understand the answers to these questions, you can begin weaning processes from items like pacifiers and bottles or other sleep dependencies. You can find the sleep assessment in the chapter on sleep, Chapter 11 of the Turn Autism Around book. Additionally, we discuss Taking Cara Babies, an Instagram resource with helpful guides for fixing sleep issues from a Pediatric Nurse.

Toddler Waking Up at Night or Too Early in the Morning

You’ve gotten your child to bed, but the middle of the night comes and they are knocking on your door, crying out from their room, or in my case with Lucas they are jumping in your bed. It can be easy to let your child get in bed with you during night wakings, especially when you need to get sleep too. I share about Lucas’s sleeping issues from 1-10 where we played musical beds nearly every night. I was able to stop that in three nights with a consistent and firm plan. The bottom line is nighttime is time for bed, in their bed. As long as you have a safe environment in the home and a plan with what works for your child and your family, do not let them into your room or into the bed. Remind the child it’s bedtime and guide them back to their room over and over again. With positive reinforcement (a reward in the morning for staying in their bed or going back to bed) and a constituent approach, the hard and frustrating transition will end.

If your child finds themselves waking up early before 6am or a time you consider a reasonable morning wake up, teach them to stay in their room or what safe quiet activities they can do instead. For some children, an alarm clock with a color changing light of green or red may help let them know when to stay in bed and when to get up. You may consider a safe activity box for the child to play with in their room in early mornings. For older, more independent children, you might consider teaching them morning self-care skills such as getting ready, and making a bowl of cereal and watching TV. This change is about deciding what your boundary is and what you’re comfortable with your child doing to meet that boundary.

Autism and Night Terrors

Night terrors can be extremely common for children with autism. They can happen at the same time every night or sporadically and lead to long wake-ups and an inconsolable child. For Kelsey, when her son Lincoln was having night terrors she was at a loss for anything to snap him out of his distress and she finally found a song that would work to snap him out and get him back to sleep. For other children who may be experiencing a night terror at the same time every night, having the parent wake the child 10 minutes before it usually occurs can help break the cycle and prevent night terrors in the future.

Dr. Mary Barbera and Kelsey General on Autism and Sleep Issues

Kelsey and I brought these big questions on sleep from commonly asked questions in our online community. Many times sleep issues can be linked to medical issues or deficiencies, so if problems persist, be sure to get a medical consultation or up-to-date blood work. All of the advice shared is for informational purposes only, as all families have differing personal and cultural beliefs regarding sleep.

If you found this episode and episodes like this helpful, be sure to leave a review where you listen to podcasts.

You’ll Learn

Why is my toddler waking up at night?
Why won’t my baby sleep without their bottle or pacifier?
How can I keep my child from waking up too early?
How can I break the cycle of allowing my child in bed with me in the middle of the night?
How to help and prevent night terrors for children with autism?
Can medical deficiencies cause sleep issues?
How do I know if my child is getting enough sleep?

Resources