People on the autism spectrum may have trouble falling and staying asleep. Some people experience prolonged awakenings or wake very early in the morning. When a person with autism has difficulty sleeping, this can often impact on the sleep of others.
People with autism may experience insomnia. It can take them an average of 11 minutes longer than neurotypical people to fall asleep and they may wake up regularly during the night.
Sleep may also be less restorative than it is for people in general.
Sleep diaries can help to identify unusual patterns of sleep and any factors which may influence a person’s ability to maintain good sleep. Journals like these are useful as they can be shared with GPs, teachers, social workers and other relevant people supporting the individual.
This will help to give a clearer idea of the sleep impact issues and how this affects them and others.
Poor sleep hygiene can contribute to sleep problems. It is important to establish good sleep hygiene; this will support many sleep difficulties, such as:
This routine should be predictable and last approximately 20-30 minutes. It should include relaxing activities such as reading or listening to calming music. Avoid use of electronic devices prior to bedtime, such as TV, iPad, computer and game consoles. These can be highly stimulating and could make it difficult for a person to then sleep.
The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet. People with autism spectrum condition (ASC) may be particularly sensitive to noise or have other sensory differences.
It is important to make the environment as comfortable as possible.
This should be consistent, with little difference between the weekday and weekend schedule.
Naps can be helpful for children but these should not be taken in the late afternoon as it can interfere with bedtime.
Daytime exercise can make it easier for people to fall asleep. In children, this was shown to induce a deeper sleep.
Exercise should not be carried out before bedtime, as it can make it difficult for some people to sleep.
This can stimulate a person if consumed close to bedtime and can make it difficult for a person to sleep.
Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate and some carbonated soda drinks.
It’s important that the person with autism learns the skill of falling asleep without somebody being present. Everybody wakes briefly during the night, but people generally and quickly put themselves back to sleep. They may go on to require a person present to help them to fall back to sleep during normal awakenings.
Mattress reviews:
https://www.mattressreviews.com/autism-asd/
Ambitious about Autism:
https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/understanding-autism/health/sleep
