Sleep problems are extremely common among children diagnosed on the autism spectrum, with researchers estimating somewhere between 40 to 80 per cent of autistic kids are affected. The reasons aren’t clear but it could be due to anxiety, sensory sensitivities or irregularities in their sleep-wake cycle.
The result of lack of sleep is less complicated: exhausted kids, and extra stress on parents already managing the additional needs of their child.
As a parent, not being able to figure out how to help your child sleep can also make you feel inadequate. “It’s not supposed to be this hard” is a thought that has plagued me often in the middle of the night. But the less sleep you get, the tougher it is to figure out a solution.
See article below featuring Professor Sarah Blunden: https://twitter.com/CQUniNews/status/1115469236380397568