By Annabelle Carter Short
Children who place on the autism spectrum can struggle with several aspects of life. Most commonly, people think of how loud, active environments can trigger a negative response in autistic children thanks to the sensory overload it can lead to. However, this is only part of autism spectrum disorder.
Another common problem that can occur for children placing on the autism spectrum is problems with their sleep schedule. This can include issues with winding down and falling asleep at night and rousing in the morning. Luckily, there are measures that you can take to help your child get the sleep that they need at night so that they are ready for the upcoming day.
It’s important to remember that all autistic children are different. This means that some of these tips might work for your child while others might not.
Avoid Stimulants Before Bed
Just like with anyone who has problems with insomnia or settling before bed, you will want to avoid making it worse by adding any sort of stimulant into the equation. The most common examples of stimulants you will want to avoid are caffeine and sugar. So, you won’t want to give your child soda or sugary snacks before bed.
Try to Calm Down Action Before Bed
Autistic children – and children in general – often have trouble sleeping because they aren’t calm when they lay down for bed. This is because many autistic children have an excess amount of energy. So, when it comes time for bed, it’s extremely difficult to just turn that energy off and go to sleep.
To help gradually calm this energy down, you should set in place rules that some activities are prohibited before an hour before bed. For example, you should limit roughhousing – tickling, wrestling, etc. In addition, it is best to limit use of technology for an hour or so before bed. After all, the blue light from a TV or computer can be rather stimulating to anyone and won’t help your child relax and fall asleep.
Establish a Routine
One theory behind why autistic children have so much trouble sleeping is that they have trouble reading the social cues that tell them it’s time for bed. For example, if their siblings start to yawn or change into their pajamas, they won’t always understand that this means it’s time for bed.
However, by having a routine in place, it will help your child understand when it’s time for bed and it can even help them wind down. In fact, a routine can help many autistic children handle their day-to-day life, not just bedtime.
What the routine includes is up to you. Most parents and children create a routine that includes activities such as the child brushing their teeth, taking time to relax, and eventually falling asleep. While you can customize the routine to fit your needs, remember it is a routine. That means you should try to keep it constant in what you do and when you do it each night for it to be effective.
It should be noted that while it is tempting to give your children a few extra hours rest or let them stay up late on the weekends, it will only serve to disrupt their routine. As such, you should avoid the temptation to do so.
Make the Room Comfortable
This may seem like common sense but one of the best ways to help an autistic child fall asleep is to make their room as comfortable as possible. This includes all of the common ideas that you would want in your room – keep it a comfortable temperature, have soft pillows, and the like.
For autistic children, though, it can prove beneficial to take a few extra steps to account for sensory distractions. You can cut down on extra noise by installing thick carpeting and making sure the hinges on the door doesn’t squeak. A set of thick currents can block lights out from outside as well. A weighted blanket can be a comforting touch as well.
