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My autistic toddler no longer sleeps

NAS74753

My child is 29 months and refuses to sleep, he always had sleeping problems. He could never be trained to fall asleep on his own hence i always put him bed myself. Lately he has been refusing to go bed and would not stay asleep more than 45 minutes. Any help or advice is welcomed.

  • There are a load of good threads on here with advice. Up next to "How You Can Help" is a magnifying glass (at least on my screen) where you could search "Sleeping" and it will bring up some good threads with the same issues.

    It would be good to note if all the lights in your home are LED (blue lights are dangerous for retina's in infants but also can stop us from sleeping as they manipulate human sleeping cycles (Circadian Rhythm). What sort of bedsheets and clothes he's in? I find natural fibres are more breathable - I've had problems sleeping in polyester blends or eucalyptus - one doesn't allow the body to properly regulate and eucalyptus keeps the body too cold - great for summer though!

    But these are exterior things. I always think it's good to explore surroundings and diet along with making sure they get enough exercise (especially if children are ADHD).

  • Hello ,

    I'm sorry to hear about some of your son's sleep difficulties. You may like to have a look at some of the advice and support from the NAS on sleep for children with autism:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/sleep/parents

    I hope this helps,

    ChloeMod

  • Not an expert but have heard that white noise can help autistic children eg have a radio but not turned into any station, or just music very quiet all night so he can listen to it when he wakes up but can go back to sleep without your help.