How Autism Affects Sleep. Those with autism often suffer from altered sleep patterns and insomnia. They may find that simply getting enough sleep is difficult, having to fight through the daily sensory overstimulation they face. Many of their sleep problems arise from the inability to self-soothe and fall asleep.
Hypersomnia – sleeping too much. Increased exhaustion could be caused by the additional stress autistic people experience in social situations. Increased anxiety or an inability to relax causing insomnia. Sharing a bed/bedroom with others.
The survey revealed on average, 68% of autistic people get just six hours of sleep (or less) each night, with 59% waking up during the night, and nearly half (48%) waking up 'too soon' in the morning.
almost 9 in 10 respondents reported poor quality of sleep with frequent and prolonged night-time awakenings. over 70% of autistic adults said they experienced difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, associating this with sensory issues and high anxiety.
Although fatigue and burnout can happen to anyone, autistic people are more likely to be affected by this. It is often the result of doing more than you can cope with for too long and can be an immediate response to something, or be caused by a build up of things over time.
Autistic children can have particular sleep and settling problems, including: irregular sleeping and waking patterns – for example, lying awake until very late or waking very early in the morning. sleeping much less than expected for their age, or being awake for more than an hour during the night.
Autism is not an illness
It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
A new study challenges the theory that autism is largely passed down from mothers. In fact, siblings who are both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to get a larger portion of their DNA from their father.
We know that there's no one cause of autism. Research suggests that autism develops from a combination of genetic and nongenetic, or environmental, influences.
Main signs of autism
finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own. seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to. finding it hard to say how you feel. taking things very literally – for example, you may not understand sarcasm or phrases like "break a leg"
Early signs of autism include atypical social and communication behaviour, repetitive behaviour or movements, and intense interests.
Many kids and teenagers with autism have problems sleeping which can be hard on the child and caregivers. Some have trouble falling and staying asleep, or wake up too early and have a hard time getting back to sleep.
In a report published in 1999, psychologist Amanda Richdale estimated that 44-83% of children on the autism spectrum experience sleep challenges, the most common of which are difficulty falling asleep, frequent wakings during the night, and early morning waking. Other difficulties include: Insomnia. Sleep apnea.
Sometimes, autistic children may even not like to be held, hugged, or touched by anyone and may be fussy or reactive when forced to do so.
Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact. No response to his or her name.
About stimming and autism
Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing. posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting.
A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
Sensory Issues
Many people with autism experience sensory processing disorder. This is more commonly known as sensory overload. Noise, crowds, bright lights, strong tastes, smells, and being touched can feel unbearable to someone with HFA. This makes going to restaurants, movies, and shopping malls difficult.
High-functioning autism means that a person is able to read, write, speak, and handle daily tasks, such as eating and getting dressed independently. Despite having symptoms of autism, their behavior doesn't interfere too much with their work, school, or, relationships.
While autism does not necessarily get worse with age, it is important to note that symptoms can vary over the course of a person's life. In fact, research has shown that autism symptoms tend to peak around the ages of 2-3 years old.
Depression isn't the only mental health factor that can influence pregnancy outcomes. High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.