In children diagnosed with ASD, increased side sleeping was associated with lowered severity in ASD symptoms, and increased back sleeping was associated with increased severity in ASD symptoms.
The most common problem for children on the autism spectrum is refusing to go to sleep at night. Some children may need to be rocked, patted or have someone lie next to them before falling asleep.
A bedtime routine of bath, story and bed can help younger children feel ready for sleep. For older children, the routine might include a quiet chat with you about the day then some time alone relaxing before lights out. Autistic children might need extra support to get used to a bedtime routine.
Children with autism are more likely than typical children to have had problems falling asleep as infants, according to a new study1. These infants also have more growth in the hippocampus, the brain's memory hub, from age 6 to 24 months.
Sleep hygiene strategies
But limit rigorous activity in the hour immediately before bed. * Keep a regular and predictable bedtime routine. For instance, a bath, brushing teeth and a bedtime story. * Dim lights and avoid electronic screens (TV, computer, tablets, smart phones) at least an hour before bedtime.
People with autism tend to have insomnia: It takes them an average of 11 minutes longer than typical people to fall asleep, and many wake up frequently during the night. Some people with the condition have sleep apnea, a condition that causes them to stop breathing several times during the night.
Instead, they have high levels of melatonin during the daytime and lower levels at night. Another reason children with autism may have trouble falling asleep or awaken in the middle of the night could be an increased sensitivity to outside stimuli, such as touch or sound.
Neurological disorders affecting the part of the brain that controls emotions can also cause laughing during sleep. These disorders are rare, but they're important to be aware of. For babies, neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder can be behind sleep laughing.
Young children may express more voiced than unvoiced laughter, as they haven't yet learned to purposely laugh. The test group of autistic children laughed just about as often as the non-autistic kids, but the autistic children's laughter was 98 percent voiced, while non-autistic children produced both types.
For children on the autism spectrum, sleep problems typically begin to occur from around 30 months of age. Their most common problems are less total time asleep and increased time to settle to sleep. These are similar problems reported by parents of typically developing children.
A recent study, “Association Between Screen Time Exposure in Children at 1 Year of Age and Autism Spectrum Disorder at 3 Years of Age,” showed that longer durations of screen time among 1-year-old boys was “significantly associated” with autism spectrum disorder at 3 years old.
Repetitive behaviour
For example, children might: make repetitive noises like grunts, throat-clearing or squealing. do repetitive movements like body-rocking or hand-flapping. do things like flicking a light switch repeatedly.
Overall, infants later diagnosed with autism are quieter than the controls. And at 9 to 12 months of age, they produce an average of 4.5 syllables per minute, compared with 5.8.
White noise can help some children fall asleep and stay asleep.
In some cases, a child may appear to have clumsiness and awkwardness in doing normal activities like walking and running. Some children also have repetitive behaviors such as hand clapping, twisting, or twirling.
Those who may be on the autism spectrum will mostly avoid any type of eye contact and will typically not smile or exhibit many facial expressions. Autistic children will also likely not be reactive to loud sounds and noises as neurotypical children would.
An autistic child's physical appearance is normal. She may not like to be touched or held. She may have strange, repetitive behaviors. She may seem to be in her own world and lack interest in other people.
Landa has also found that autistic babies aren't able to communicate by expression about a topic like the penguin, or even react to a simple game of peekaboo on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, says Landa, these are subtle signs a parent may not notice, simply thinking their child is distracted or obstinate.
About 85 percent of the children in each group walked independently by 18 months. But when researchers focused on children with IQs of around 50, they found that 60 percent of the children with intellectual disability, ADHD or language disorders walked by 18 months compared with 80 percent of those with autism.
Children with significant social delays, such as those with autism, often don't respond to their name when called. This makes it difficult for adults to get their attention or call them away from what they're doing.
Children with ASD tend to have difficulty regulating their emotions. It may be even more difficult for them to calm down or be comforted during a night terror episode. Although children tend to outgrow night terrors, it is helpful to engage in habits that can reduce risks or make them less prevalent.
Feeding concerns are common for children with autism. In fact, children with autism are five times more likely than their peers to develop a feeding problem. However, it can be difficult to tell whether a child's eating habits are normal or require intervention.