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Disturbed sleep

Katie booth

My name is Katie, my 2 year old daughter was diagnosed with ASD in July this year. She used to be a really good sleeper but over the past couple of weeks she has been waking through the night very upset and angry and can't be comforted or calmed down no matter what we do. She is non-verbal which makes is very difficult to tell what's wrong with her. She has a dummy and her favourite teddy as well as a beaker of weak cordial in bed with her, which is usually enough and will keep her happy through the night if she wakes up, but I feel like there's something else bothering her. Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated!

  • Hi Katie

    My son is 21 now and has a diagnosis of autism and severe learning difficulties - like your daughter he is non verbal.  Also in common with your daughter from the age of 2 he has had difficulty in sleeping.  He goes through periods of 1 - 2 weeks where he sleeps very well and then periods where he has difficulty in falling asleep and remaining asleep through the night.

    Some more obvious pointers which help:-

    • Ensure room not too warm or cold

    • Perhaps what she is wearing is irritating her skin - as people on the spectrum are very sensitive to different kinds of fabric.

    • No TV too close to bedtime and no TV in room.

    • Relaxing bath at bedtime

       

      Does she like a night light or does she prefer room completely dark? - this can vary.  As a small child my son wanted a light night or hall light left on and door open.  Now he wants a completely dark room and door closed.

      From personal experience with my son - he suffers from nightmares and also has bad stomach wind from eating too quickly.  Therefore Calpol can help settle him if he wakes at night.

       

      It is very difficult I know not to get a full night's sleep and you may have to take it in turns to do 'night duty'.

       

      I would advise seeking medical advice too as every person is different and there could be underlying medical problems that you don't know about.

      With autism there are no easy answers and it can just be trial and error as to what works for each individual.

    • Wishing you all the best.