1. Is your child struggling to sleep?
The answer to this is likely to be different for every person. Unfortunately, it seems that virtually all children with autism are likely to suffer from disturbed sleep patterns at some point or another, but we don’t know why.
Sleep problems can be divided into:
settling problems, where a child has difficulty going to sleep
waking problems, where a child wakes repeatedly during the night
‘social cueing’ problems, where your child doesn’t make the connection between the family going to bed and their own need to sleep
melatonin issues
sensory issues
problems caused by allergy and food sensitivities
hypersomnia - sleeping too much
Why?
Did You Know?
40-80% of children with Autism suffer from sleep deprivation
Contact SENDiass Rochdale for info on sleep clinics running in 2016
Things to try
Use a weighted blanket
Relaxation techniques
Block out light, smells, noises
Gradual reduction of adult presence
Restrict daytime naps