Occasionally, we’ll hear Alex come walking downstairs from
his bedroom after his nightly 10:00 bedtime to inform us that he’s “having
difficulty sleeping.” Usually, we can remedy this problem by adjusting the vent
in his room to make it warmer or cooler, attending to any physical issues
bothering him, or reassuring him that a noisy thunderstorm won’t last much
longer. Because these instances of sleep problems are relatively rare now,
we’re thankful that he’s overcome the nightly bouts of insomnia that occurred
when he was younger.
When Alex was a little boy, we’d often awaken to find him turning on the lights in his bedroom to read a book or sitting in a living room recliner to watch The Weather Channel or overseas stock market reports on television in the middle of the night. He never seemed upset that he couldn’t sleep, but we knew this was an issue that needed to be fixed so that we all could get a good night’s sleep.
According to the article, “Sleep problems in autism, explained,” written by Hannah Furfaro and published November 13, 2017, on the website Spectrum, sleep issues are quite common in children with autism. [To read this article, please click here.] While 10-16% of typical children have problems with sleeping, an astounding 44-86% of children with autism have serious difficulties with sleeping.
In contrast to typical people, those with autism take a longer time to fall asleep: an average of eleven minutes longer than most people. In addition, many people with autism awaken frequently during the night. For some, these nightly interruptions of sleep are related to apnea, which causes them to stop breathing several times during the night. Studies also show that people with autism spend less time in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. While typical people spend 23% of their sleep time engaged in REM, those with autism are only in REM sleep 15% of the time. This difference proves important because REM sleep plays a key role in learning and retaining memories.
Researchers have identified potential reasons for the differences in sleep patterns for people with autism. First, some people with autism take medications that may interfere with their sleep, such as stimulants prescribed for those who also have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, many people with autism have coexisting conditions, including anxiety and ADHD, which make sleeping more difficult. Moreover, many people with autism have gastrointestinal issues that may cause abdominal pains that disturb sleep.
Along with physical conditions, some people with autism have genetic mutations that may be related to sleep difficulties. For example, some genetic mutations associated with autism impact melatonin levels. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the cycles of being awake and asleep. Too little melatonin in the system can cause difficulties with sleeping. Apparently, this genetic mutation is rather common in autism. In 2005, researchers discovered that people with autism were twice as likely to have genetic mutations impacting the sleep-wake cycle as typical people.
No matter what the cause of poor sleep in people with autism may be, the effects are consistently detrimental. A lack of sleep in children with autism tends to lead to negative behaviors, such as more severe repetitive behaviors and more impaired social skills. Children who have autism and sleep issues also tend to score lower on intelligence tests. These observed consequences of lack of sleep in children with autism may be related to the increased hyperactivity and distractibility noted in a 2009 research study. However, scientists have not yet ascertained whether the sleep issues cause the behavior issues or whether the behaviors, such as hyperactivity or anxiety, cause the sleep difficulties.
Nonetheless, certain methods may help improve sleep for children and adults with autism. Following a bedtime routine with a specific order of activities may be useful. Moreover, keeping a regular schedule of times to go to sleep and times to wake up may assist the body and brain in establishing consistent sleep-wake cycles. Also, adjusting temperatures and lighting in the bedroom may be needed to help the person with autism sleep better. Finally, melatonin supplements offer a safe and effective way to help children and adults with autism go to sleep more quickly and to engage in better quality sleep, according to researchers.
Finding ways to help people with autism improve their sleep offers them several benefits. Specifically, Angela Maxwell-Horn, assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, notes that better sleep allows children with autism to decrease their irritability and to improve their learning and behavior.
From our experience with overcoming Alex’s sleep difficulties, I would also note that time-release melatonin may be helpful to some people with autism. Not only does this supplement help people fall asleep faster, but the time-release component also helps them stay asleep all night. In addition, since some people with autism have sound sensitivity and can hear even barely audible noises, a source of white noise, such as a fan or a sound machine, might be helpful. We keep a small air cleaner fan running in Alex’s bedroom at all times to create a subtle whirring sound that drowns out other noises while filtering the air. Although he no longer takes melatonin supplements, as he did when he was younger, Alex sleeps peacefully nearly every night. Thankfully, using routines, schedules, and white noise enables Alex to get the rest his body needs. Moreover, we certainly don’t miss having to interrupt his insomniac 3 A.M. reading or television watching sessions. Now, we can all get a good night’s sleep, which is a blessing we never take for granted.
When Alex was a little boy, we’d often awaken to find him turning on the lights in his bedroom to read a book or sitting in a living room recliner to watch The Weather Channel or overseas stock market reports on television in the middle of the night. He never seemed upset that he couldn’t sleep, but we knew this was an issue that needed to be fixed so that we all could get a good night’s sleep.
According to the article, “Sleep problems in autism, explained,” written by Hannah Furfaro and published November 13, 2017, on the website Spectrum, sleep issues are quite common in children with autism. [To read this article, please click here.] While 10-16% of typical children have problems with sleeping, an astounding 44-86% of children with autism have serious difficulties with sleeping.
In contrast to typical people, those with autism take a longer time to fall asleep: an average of eleven minutes longer than most people. In addition, many people with autism awaken frequently during the night. For some, these nightly interruptions of sleep are related to apnea, which causes them to stop breathing several times during the night. Studies also show that people with autism spend less time in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. While typical people spend 23% of their sleep time engaged in REM, those with autism are only in REM sleep 15% of the time. This difference proves important because REM sleep plays a key role in learning and retaining memories.
Researchers have identified potential reasons for the differences in sleep patterns for people with autism. First, some people with autism take medications that may interfere with their sleep, such as stimulants prescribed for those who also have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, many people with autism have coexisting conditions, including anxiety and ADHD, which make sleeping more difficult. Moreover, many people with autism have gastrointestinal issues that may cause abdominal pains that disturb sleep.
Along with physical conditions, some people with autism have genetic mutations that may be related to sleep difficulties. For example, some genetic mutations associated with autism impact melatonin levels. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the cycles of being awake and asleep. Too little melatonin in the system can cause difficulties with sleeping. Apparently, this genetic mutation is rather common in autism. In 2005, researchers discovered that people with autism were twice as likely to have genetic mutations impacting the sleep-wake cycle as typical people.
No matter what the cause of poor sleep in people with autism may be, the effects are consistently detrimental. A lack of sleep in children with autism tends to lead to negative behaviors, such as more severe repetitive behaviors and more impaired social skills. Children who have autism and sleep issues also tend to score lower on intelligence tests. These observed consequences of lack of sleep in children with autism may be related to the increased hyperactivity and distractibility noted in a 2009 research study. However, scientists have not yet ascertained whether the sleep issues cause the behavior issues or whether the behaviors, such as hyperactivity or anxiety, cause the sleep difficulties.
Nonetheless, certain methods may help improve sleep for children and adults with autism. Following a bedtime routine with a specific order of activities may be useful. Moreover, keeping a regular schedule of times to go to sleep and times to wake up may assist the body and brain in establishing consistent sleep-wake cycles. Also, adjusting temperatures and lighting in the bedroom may be needed to help the person with autism sleep better. Finally, melatonin supplements offer a safe and effective way to help children and adults with autism go to sleep more quickly and to engage in better quality sleep, according to researchers.
Finding ways to help people with autism improve their sleep offers them several benefits. Specifically, Angela Maxwell-Horn, assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, notes that better sleep allows children with autism to decrease their irritability and to improve their learning and behavior.
From our experience with overcoming Alex’s sleep difficulties, I would also note that time-release melatonin may be helpful to some people with autism. Not only does this supplement help people fall asleep faster, but the time-release component also helps them stay asleep all night. In addition, since some people with autism have sound sensitivity and can hear even barely audible noises, a source of white noise, such as a fan or a sound machine, might be helpful. We keep a small air cleaner fan running in Alex’s bedroom at all times to create a subtle whirring sound that drowns out other noises while filtering the air. Although he no longer takes melatonin supplements, as he did when he was younger, Alex sleeps peacefully nearly every night. Thankfully, using routines, schedules, and white noise enables Alex to get the rest his body needs. Moreover, we certainly don’t miss having to interrupt his insomniac 3 A.M. reading or television watching sessions. Now, we can all get a good night’s sleep, which is a blessing we never take for granted.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord,
will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8
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