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Need for sleep

NAS75556

Hi,

I'm the parent of an eight year old boy who is autistic and has ADHD. He has incredible difficulty getting to sleep and has never slept through the night. His paediatrician told me today that autistic children don't need as much sleep as neurotypical children. 

I'm aware that lots of autistic people struggle to sleep, but I wasn't aware that there was a difference in how much sleep is actually required. Is this accurate? Should I not be concerned about my son getting perhaps seven hours of broken sleep per night?

He's only recently diagnosed, so I'm still trying to find out all I can. Thanks ever so much.

Parents

  • Hi, is your son taking any medication for his ADHD diagnosis and is this also recent?  Does he sleep for several hours once he gets to sleep?  My son is in his late teens and has recurring phases of sleep disruption, which melatonin has sometimes helped in the past.  I expect you have already researched the good sleep hygiene tips and know that NAS have run workshops on this topic.

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  • Hi, is your son taking any medication for his ADHD diagnosis and is this also recent?  Does he sleep for several hours once he gets to sleep?  My son is in his late teens and has recurring phases of sleep disruption, which melatonin has sometimes helped in the past.  I expect you have already researched the good sleep hygiene tips and know that NAS have run workshops on this topic.

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