Comments on: How Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Affect Sleep

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:27:40 +0000

@ Sharon — thanks for sharing this tip! Based on your feedback (and April’s, in the second comment), it sounds like there are lots of good things to be said for melatonin supplements 🙂

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:13:15 +0000

My daughter is 6 years old and moderately autistic (not high-functioning). She began to struggle with getting to sleep around the time we started Early Intervention at 2 and a half. She had been sensory underresponsibe, but waking her up sensory-wise made regulation almost impossible. We tried routines, weighted blankets and animals, benadryl, and struggled with sleeplessness. When we finally tried melatonin, at the suggestion of an OT, it worked like a charm! She’s been taking melatonin at bedtime and if she wakes in the night at least 2 hours before wakeup time since she was 3 and a half. It has saved our sanity and hers. She behaves much better now that she’s getting sleep!

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:09:08 +0000

@ Kerry — thanks for sharing your thoughts! So true (for both kdis and adults) that a good night’s sleep makes such a difference.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:30:05 +0000

Several of my students deal with sleep issues. It is incredible to see how their day is affected for the worse or better depending on the amount of sleep they get. The number of autistic cases has increased to 1 in 88. Thank you for using your page to giving awareness to this disorder.

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:16:45 +0000

@ April — thanks for this feedback! I’ll do a little research and try to update the article.

@ April — so glad to hear you found a solution to your son’s sleep issues! I read a lot of articles in preparation for writing this, and many of them cited melatonin as a really great solution to ASD-related sleep issues. And it doesn’t carry the same risks as sleep medications, since it’s considered a supplement, and since melatonin itself occurs naturally in the body. Thanks for sharing your story, April!

By: April

April — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:12:30 +0000

My 5 yr old son has autism and melatonin has been a miracle in our house!! We give him a “sleepy vitamin” every night before bed and he is asleep within 20-30 mins. Before we found the product we use he would lay in bed for at least an hour sometimes several hours before finally falling asleep. His little brain just couldn’t shut off on its own for him to go to sleep!!!

By: April

April — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:12:51 +0000

I would also add: seizures.

My client’s child has autism and like many children with this disorder, he has seizures. Wouldn’t you know–most happen when he is sleeping. In fact, they were overlooked at first because they occurred during his sleep.