Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello, my son is 2 and has recently been diagnosed with ASD, I'm still learning what that means and what his individual traits are. I'm hoping someone can offer me advice. My son's bedroom contains a very noisy old boiler and I have been wondering if the noise is a problem for him, more than it would be for a non-autistic child. He has been sleeping in that room for over a year so it's not a new noise, I think it does wake him at times and I wonder if it makes getting to sleep harder. Falling asleep usually takes my son hours and recently (for a few months) he has taken to sleeping on the floor. We put him back in bed several times a night but shortly after he moves himself to the floor again (with his pillow and duvet).
I have wondered if he lays on the floor because he likes the feeling of the vibrations of the boiler. But it could just be the feeling of the carpet he likes. My son has communication problems so he can't tell me if the boiler noise is a problem or if he finds it a comfort.
Im looking for people's thoughts on whether I should swap bedrooms to move him away from the noise or try to put in some sort of sound proofing.
I'm new here and I'm reasonably new to autism so please forgive my ignorance.
I recently saw your post and wanted to share my opinion. Having a noisy boiler can be disruptive, especially for someone with autism.
I think that you should at least get a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in his room. Old boilers may be completely safe but they can become unsafe if they are not maintained correctly or if air vents are accidentally blocked. These alarms cost very little but can save lives.
People who have autism often suffer from problems with sleeping and there are some specific things that can be done to help some of those
a) There is a light sensitivity issue. It might help to fit blackout curtains and reduce light as much as possible. The brain needs to know the difference between night and day and autistic people sometimes benefit from extra attention to this.
b) There is growing evidence that all electronic devices (TV, phone, games etc) should be removed for the hour or so before bedtime. Modern screens give off light that looks, to the brain, like daylight. Reduced lighting and less brilliant white lighting might help.
Hi Ferret,
That's very helpful, thank you so much for replying! His matteress is a baby matteress so he might find it too soft now, that's an interesting point. You also make a good point that if he is sleeping well perhaps being on the floor is not a problem, although he does wake during the night I dont think the floor is the problem. Most likely just the tendency to have disturbed sleep.
Yes changes to the boiler cupboard would be done with professional advice but perhaps he does find the sound comforting as you've found with engine noise. It's so hard to know when he can't tell me! After reading your comments I think I'll leave the room as it is for now and see how it goes, I don't want to put him through the stresses of change if it's not going to be of benefit to him.
Thank you for your help, it's very much appreciated
hello harddazenite
i am autistic. please bear in mind that as autistic, can be blunt but do not mean to hurt feelings. please take all that follows as open opinion.
sleeping is an issue in general for autistics; we tend to be insomniacs. that aside, i would comment as follows regarding your child:
i personally prefer sleeping on the floor. it's comforting. often as a child i would gravitate to the floor. i have no problem sleeping on the floor; and need to when sleep becomes a problem, but that is more due to long term effects of insomnia.
i also prefer a very hard matress as a result, in fact, the harder the better as any movement, even my own, can disturb me and wake me up. is your son's matress soft? springy? bouncy?
hard surfaces can provide a sense of stabliity and grounding and assurance. i would suggest that if your son is getting a good night's sleep, then he has adapted and found a solution to whatever issue is disturbing him or disrupting him - autistics are very good at finding ways to provide for our needs, the only problem is these solution tend to be viewed as 'problems'. why then worry or be concerned that he is not in a bed if he is getting a good night's sleep? if he is happy and in zzz land, no problem.
re the boiler - autistics don't do well with changes to our environment. coupled with that, and dependent upon the boiler, good air circulation is generally essential for the boiler to function. i personally would not recommend 'blocking up' or 'insulating' unless you get proper advice from an engineer as gas boilers in particuar can be hazardous if tampered with. if it is an emersion heater, ie electric, i doubt it would cause that much of an issue as they function differently. if gas, and the thermostat is triggering the central heating to come on, then again, i would suggest that if your son has found a solution for now, then do nothing would be the best option unless his sleep is dramatically disturbed or you see an escalation in sleep disturbance.
one note: i used to have to sleep in a room with a thermostat for a gas central heating. even in the dead of night, if the thermostat triggered, its 'click' was like a gun going off and i'd be wide awake. however, i can get an excellent sleep in a car or train, particularly a bus - have been known to sleep on the floor of a bus right over the transaxle, very comforting, like listening to a large cat purring....
i digress....
this is all i can give you from an autistic perspective. hope it helps.