Today's guest post is from Amy Highland, a sleep expert at SleepHelp.org. Her preferred research topics are health and wellness, so Amy's a regular reader of Scientific American and Nature. She loves taking naps during thunderstorms and cuddling up with a blanket, book, and cats.  

 Why Sleeping Might Be Harder For Autistic Children and Adults 

Autism spectrum condition affects autistic people of all ages in nearly every aspect of their lives. It also affects sleep, which can create a whole host of other problems for many autistic people, problems that neurotypical people might not have.

Lack of high-quality sleep leads autistic people to struggle more with severe repetitive behaviors, and, in turn, they do worse at making friends and on tests. They are also likely to be more hyperactive and easily distracted when they haven’t slept well.

And, it turns out, sleep is harder to get for autistic people. Between 44 and 86 percent of autistic children struggle with sleep. Compared to the 10 to 16 percent range of neurotypical children, that’s a huge jump.

Curious about why? Keep reading to find out some of the reasons why sleep might be harder for autistic people .... 

Disrupted Routine

Many autistic people struggle with disruptions to their routine throughout the day. When it comes to their bedtime routine, however, it can be even more detrimental.

In order to help the autistic person in your life get to sleep, do everything that you can to avoid disrupting their routine when it comes to bedtime. Whether that's making sure that you don't move their mouth guard from where it's supposed to be or by planning your own routine around it. If you know that you are going to have to disrupt their routine, tell them ahead of time so that they can prepare themselves for it. This will help to make them feel supported and have an easier time getting to sleep.

Hypersensitive to External Stimuli

If something is stimulating or overstimulating an autistic person, they feel it a lot more strongly than neurotypical people, whether it's light that is too bright or a texture that is uncomfortable in their sheets or a particular noise that might not bother someone else.

This can lead to more disrupted sleep on a regular basis, making it harder for them to get REM sleep.

Struggle with Hyperfocus

Routine or no routine, autistic people tend to hyperfocus on things that interest them. This can lead to them losing track of time and space, which disrupts their routine. A good routine makes their condition significantly less impactful on their sleep, so it’s important to maintain it.

More Likely to Have Insomnia

Autistic people have been found to take an average of 11 minutes longer to fall asleep, and wake up frequently during the night, making it significantly harder to get the REM sleep that allows the human brain and body to prepare for the day ahead. This causes problems for the circadian rhythm that helps determine the body’s internal clock.

Autistic children have also been found to spend less time in REM sleep than their neurotypical peers by nearly 9 percent, and more likely to have sleep apnea which will disrupt their circadian rhythm. However, they also get more slow wave sleep, which is important for memory retention.

What can you do about these issues?

Keep a good bedtime routine and address any sensory issues that may be contributory. You could also talk to the autistic person in your life to see if there is anything that they would find helpful.  You may also wish to visit your GP and request an appointment with someone who specialises in sleep to explore further options.

You can find out more information about sleep on sleephelp.org

Many thanks to Amy for her insights on sleep.