Many individuals with autism struggle with getting enough restful rest. To address this issue, behavioral interventions or medications may be used as necessary.
Anxiety disorders and ADHD may impede sleep patterns, making a good night’s rest essential to our overall health. Therefore, it’s essential to experiment with various remedies and be open-minded when revisiting strategies if your sleeping patterns become affected.
Lack of Circadian Rhythm
Circadian rhythm is essential to our health; it controls sleep-wake cycles, body temperature regulation, melatonin production, and many other vital bodily functions. When disturbed, those experiencing difficulty with their circadian rhythm may face chronic health issues including obesity, diabetes, depression or bipolar disorder.
Autism spectrum individuals may experience difficulty sleeping due to various issues ranging from difficulty falling asleep and nightmares to restless night’s rest and other sleep disruptions that disrupt normal brain functioning and can lead to anxiety, mood swings and behavioral challenges. A lack of quality rest also has negative repercussions for memory and learning processes.
Researchers discovered in their research that children with autism who slept less faced more challenges during the day, particularly social issues and difficulty maintaining relationships with peers. Furthermore, they experienced fewer good days and displayed repetitive behaviors without a purpose that increased their risk of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Studies have linked autism and sleep disorders with the circadian clock genes BMAL1 and BMAL2, yet their causes remain unknown. Circadian disruption can result in mice displaying increased aggression and hyperlocomotion; this behavior, however, can be reversed when their sleep/wake cycles return to their usual patterns.
One common factor causing sleep issues in autistic kids is an inconsistent bedtime routine. Parents must establish a bedtime ritual which includes bathing, pajamas, story time and relaxing activities such as listening to music or reading; it should remain consistent even on weekends and vacations. Furthermore, caffeine and nicotine should not be consumed six hours before sleep as they interfere with the natural sleep-wake cycle and disrupt quality restful slumber.
Insomnia
Unable to sleep through the night is a challenge faced by all, but those living with autism may face additional difficulty due to insomnia – an inability to fall or stay asleep that leads to exhaustion, depression, anxiety and self-injury.
Sleep issues are a prevalent challenge among children with autism, but they also affect adults. More than half of autistic children experience one or more chronic sleep issues which make concentrating hard, impair behavior and increase frequency of meltdowns and other challenging behaviors. Furthermore, this issue may be compounded by coexisting conditions like gastrointestinal disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other mental health challenges.
Researchers have long speculated about how autism and sleep are inextricably connected. One theory holds that those with autism possess brains with differing structures from most people; this may contribute to difficulty sleeping. Furthermore, people with autism are more likely to carry genetic mutations which interfere with melatonin production, the natural hormone which regulates sleeping.
Insomnia in those with autism is often caused by environmental and medication factors, including environmental stressors and medications such as sedatives or ADHD medications that interfere with sleep patterns. Furthermore, sensory sensitivities like light, sound or texture sensitivities may prevent restful restful slumber.
Sleep issues in both children and adults with autism can be managed through behavioral interventions, with cognitive behavioral therapy known as ACT-i therapy being one such effective remedy for insomnia and anxiety in these individuals, improving both their restful nights’ rest as well as daytime functioning.
Social Cues
People generally know when it’s time for bed at night due to natural cycles of light and dark, circadian rhythms, or social cues like signs from adults or their surroundings; however, children with autism may miss these social cues, leading to sleep issues.
Researchers don’t fully understand why people with autism experience more difficulty sleeping than other children, but some suspect it could be linked to increased sensitivities to sensory stimuli. Such sensitivities could mean people with autism miss cues from others signalling it’s time for sleep or wake-up – for instance other family members getting ready for bed, etc. Furthermore, some have difficulty following instructions to dress or brush teeth before going to sleep.
Other contributors to sleep problems for people with autism include anxiety and other psychiatric conditions that disrupt normal sleeping-wake patterns, and more likely have coexisting conditions like ADHD, asthma or gastroesophageal issues that disrupt their restful slumber.
Studies demonstrate how sleep disturbances exacerbate autism symptoms, with night waking being an especially strong predictor of social interaction deficits and communication impairments, stereotyping behaviors, and nonfunctional routines (Tudor et al. 2012).
Poor sleep may contribute to behavioral problems during the day, which in turn disrupt normal sleeping patterns at night. Parents then find themselves fighting hard against this vicious cycle to restore healthy sleeping patterns for their kids with autism; ultimately affecting all aspects of family life negatively. Therapy to address sleep issues for these individuals may provide much-needed assistance.
Medications
Autism medications often interfere with sleep, particularly if prescribed to treat anxiety or irritability. Many of these sedating medicines cause people with autism to fall asleep later, stay asleep longer, or wake more frequently during the night than expected. Sedative effects also disrupt proper sleep hygiene – including medications like Clonidine, Melatonin and antidepressants which have similar sedating properties.
Additionally, some medications prescribed to children with autism have side effects that negatively impact sleep, including risperidone, clonidine, trazodone and secretin. While these medicines may make falling or staying asleep difficult, they can still be used effectively when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy that encourages better sleeping patterns – for instance cognitive behavioral therapy can teach patients about how their behaviors and environment impact restful restful restful restful slumber.
Alpha agonists like clonidine and guanfacine may be used off-label as treatment for autism despite there being no conclusive evidence they work effectively for this population. Although short-acting, they can interfere with sleep onset latencies for some children with autism; long term use suppresses REM sleep while poor metabolizers may experience early puberty after discontinuation.
Studies have shown that benzodiazepines can help treat sleep disorders related to autism, such as partial arousals and periodic limb movement disorder. Clonazepam is the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine for these purposes, having an 18-39 hour half-life and primary renal elimination; it is generally well tolerated but may lead to sedation and depression among some children with autism; other less potency options like midazolam and diazepam may also be used for this purpose.
Sleep Hygiene
Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder are a frequent source of difficulty for their families, often manifested by difficulty falling asleep or awakening frequently during the night. Lack of restful rest can lead to behavioral problems and difficulties following routines during the day as well as increased risks of anxiety and depression; such issues often become sources of tension within a household as parents try to help their child get more rest.
An environment that is dark, quiet and cool is key to helping your child drift off more easily. White noise may help create a background sound to block out distractions while keeping the room temperature consistent. Bedtime routines should include reading, bathing and going to sleep at a regular time each night – and electronics such as TV, video games or computers should not be used close to sleep time.
People living with autism frequently have health concerns, including seizures and digestive issues that interfere with sleep. Addressing these issues with a physician can lead to better restful nights; medication prescribed to treat mental conditions may also have an impactful impact on restful nights and may need adjusting accordingly.
Sleep hygiene recommendations (caffeine, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, stress management, noise pollution reduction, noise level suppression, sleep timing and napping) often lack empirical support; however, nonclinical evidence provides sufficient grounds to adopt a standard approach to encouraging these behaviors. Future research should evaluate their impact on objectively assessed sleep as well as their implementation into naturalistic settings so as to better align sleep research with healthcare goals while expanding understanding of its general public health intervention potential.
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