Asperger's Syndrome and Difficulty Sleeping
A new report about children with Asperger's Syndrome has confirmed that they often have difficulty getting the quality and amount of sleep they need. The study was conduction by Oliviero Bruni, M.D. from Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders. This Center is located at the University La Sapienza in Italy. The study included eight children with Asperger's, ten with autism, and 12 children with no developmental delays.
The parents of the children involved in the study completed a questionnaire about their children's sleep patterns. They were also asked to fill out what is known as the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale. This is used to determine if daytime drowsiness is related to school performance. They also provided information for the Autism Diagnosis Observations Schedule, and then were asked to fill out a Child Behavior Checklist. The children in the study then took the Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children evaluation and participated in a sleep study.
Researchers involved in the study were looking for some very specific elements in order to determine if there was any difference in the sleep quality for those with Asperger's as compared with other children. They monitored the number of times the children awoke per hour, how much actual time was spent in bed, and how much of that time was spent sleeping. They also monitored the sleep cycles of the children that include deep sleep, REM sleep, and the changing cycles that comes between those periods.
When all of the information was compiled, the results showed that there were differences in sleep patterns in those with Asperger's. Half were reluctant to go to bed, and three fourths wanted some sort of distraction like a night light or television to go with sleep with. As many as 87% had a problem falling asleep and three quarters were sweating when they finally did go to sleep. Half did not feel as if they had rested much when they woke the next day, and over three-quarters had problems getting out of bed and staying awake for the duration of the day.
The research concluded that children with Asperger's are suffering from not getting the sleep they need. It is recommended that all children of preschool age get no less than 11 hours of sleep a night, and as much as 13 hours in some cases. Those who have reached school age need at least ten hours a night to function properly and teenagers are in need of at least nine.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers suggestions for allowing children to get the recommended sleep they need. Those suggestions include:
- Having a routine that is the same each and every night that involves interaction with parents
- Making sure the setting for sleep is always relaxing and non stressful
- Avoid having the television on or letting your child play computer games before bedtime
- Ensure that all the programs they watch or computer games they play are age appropriate
- Cutting back on caffeine items during the day - these include sodas, many of which are caffeinated.
- Don't allow children to go to sleep while being held or fed (bottle or nursing)
==> Click here to know more about diagnosing, controlling and treating Autism in The Essential Guide To Asperger's Syndrome
Other suggestions include:
- Keep the room well ventilated
- For children who like sensory input you could try massaging their arms, legs, trunk, hands, and feet or use a weighted blanket
- Playing white noise or soothing music at a low volume
- Be aware of any sensory issues that may be disrupting their sleep such as sounds, smells and light. Even how the sheets feel can be an issue for some children. You could try black out lining in your child's bedroom curtains or blinds to ensure outside light isn't getting in.
- Keeping your child active during the day and discouraging daytime napping can help them feel tired at night and settle more readily.
- Make their bedroom as sleep friendly as possible - that may mean moving any distracting toys etc. Although if they have a particular toy or blanket they are attached to you could put that on the bed for them.
- Avoid letting your child oversleep - get them up at the same time each day to help regulate their sleep patterns.
- If they do get up at night you could try practicing some of their treatment routines to see if the thought of ‘work' might send them back to be willingly.
- Speak to your doctor about a possible melatonin deficiency. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates our sleep patterns.
- As with most things - some trial and error may be required to find the right bedtime and sleep routine for your child.
The parents of the children involved in the study completed a questionnaire about their children's sleep patterns. They were also asked to fill out what is known as the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale. This is used to determine if daytime drowsiness is related to school performance. They also provided information for the Autism Diagnosis Observations Schedule, and then were asked to fill out a Child Behavior Checklist. The children in the study then took the Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children evaluation and participated in a sleep study.
Researchers involved in the study were looking for some very specific elements in order to determine if there was any difference in the sleep quality for those with Asperger's as compared with other children. They monitored the number of times the children awoke per hour, how much actual time was spent in bed, and how much of that time was spent sleeping. They also monitored the sleep cycles of the children that include deep sleep, REM sleep, and the changing cycles that comes between those periods.
When all of the information was compiled, the results showed that there were differences in sleep patterns in those with Asperger's. Half were reluctant to go to bed, and three fourths wanted some sort of distraction like a night light or television to go with sleep with. As many as 87% had a problem falling asleep and three quarters were sweating when they finally did go to sleep. Half did not feel as if they had rested much when they woke the next day, and over three-quarters had problems getting out of bed and staying awake for the duration of the day.
The research concluded that children with Asperger's are suffering from not getting the sleep they need. It is recommended that all children of preschool age get no less than 11 hours of sleep a night, and as much as 13 hours in some cases. Those who have reached school age need at least ten hours a night to function properly and teenagers are in need of at least nine.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers suggestions for allowing children to get the recommended sleep they need. Those suggestions include:
- Having a routine that is the same each and every night that involves interaction with parents
- Making sure the setting for sleep is always relaxing and non stressful
- Avoid having the television on or letting your child play computer games before bedtime
- Ensure that all the programs they watch or computer games they play are age appropriate
- Cutting back on caffeine items during the day - these include sodas, many of which are caffeinated.
- Don't allow children to go to sleep while being held or fed (bottle or nursing)
==> Click here to know more about diagnosing, controlling and treating Autism in The Essential Guide To Asperger's Syndrome
Other suggestions include:
- Keep the room well ventilated
- For children who like sensory input you could try massaging their arms, legs, trunk, hands, and feet or use a weighted blanket
- Playing white noise or soothing music at a low volume
- Be aware of any sensory issues that may be disrupting their sleep such as sounds, smells and light. Even how the sheets feel can be an issue for some children. You could try black out lining in your child's bedroom curtains or blinds to ensure outside light isn't getting in.
- Keeping your child active during the day and discouraging daytime napping can help them feel tired at night and settle more readily.
- Make their bedroom as sleep friendly as possible - that may mean moving any distracting toys etc. Although if they have a particular toy or blanket they are attached to you could put that on the bed for them.
- Avoid letting your child oversleep - get them up at the same time each day to help regulate their sleep patterns.
- If they do get up at night you could try practicing some of their treatment routines to see if the thought of ‘work' might send them back to be willingly.
- Speak to your doctor about a possible melatonin deficiency. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates our sleep patterns.
- As with most things - some trial and error may be required to find the right bedtime and sleep routine for your child.
