Sleep issues with Autistic Children

[AnnieFL]

Hello, this is my first time on this Forum.   I have an 11 year old daughter who has suddenly just recently started having problems in going to bed at night.  She was getting very agitated at night and instead of going to bed she will bring me my car keys because she wants to go out for a ride or she will just want to play with her toys in her room or watch TV.  I have tried several techniques but was only recently able to calm her down a bit.  She was even getting agressive when I locked her bedroom door (with me her mom in the room with her of course) but it's like she turns into another child.  When it first started happening she would not even want to sit on her bed or lay in her bed, she would start screaming and get out of control.  Now she is no longer afraid of the bed and when she gets sleepy she eventually will hop in bed until she falls asleep but of course I am with her til then and I have hardly had enough sleep lately.  I then have to go to work the next day and of course sometimes I can't even send her to school because she has not rested.  My daughter has Autism and is Developmentally Delayed and is totally non-verbal.  Normally she is a sweet child that loves music, water, Disney etc.  but I think she is going through puberty and this has affected her mood and behavior.  Does anyone have a similar situation or can give me some advice on what to do?  Also, if you have a child with Autism and would like to send me a note, please do so.  Look forward to hearing from you.  Take Care, Annie

[Sally44]

Sleep issues are very common.
I is also harder to you as your daughter is non-verbal.  Can she use PECS or other visual cards to communicate?
If so it might be useful to try to get some help via school to put together a couple of cards that she can use when she is not able to sleep.  
There can be a number of things that could make sleep difficult for an autistic child.  I'll just try to think of a couple of them, and you or school may come up with other suggestions on the knowledge you have of your own daughter.
a) is she scared of the dark?  My own son has periods when he is afraid to go upstairs alone, or sleep in his own bed, or turn off the lights.  This is just fear based, and all you can do is try to reassure the child as best you can.  I let me own son choose a cuddly toy that he always takes to bed with him.  I let him sleep with the light on.  I do have periods where I have to sleep with him (and many professionals would totally disagree with this tactic), then he will go back to sleeping independently again.
b) it might, as you say, be down to puberty.  There could be hormones racing around upsetting all kinds of things.  I have found that physical activity around 2 hours before bedtime can really help.  Is there anything you can do or use for your daughter to do some physical activity?  You can have an exercise trampette, or follow an exercise DVD together etc.
c) does she have any sensory issues?  If so try to figure out which senses might be being over stimulated or not stimulated enough.  For example if she likes deep pressure then you could try a weighted blanket.  Sometimes these can be borrowed from your Occupational Therapy department.  Or you can replace a duvet with a sheet and any number of blankets for the weight.  Some people make the weighted blankets themselves.  If it is sensitivity to auditory noise, then you may need to try to ensure there are no background noises that could be bothering her eg. washing machine on at night etc.  The same applies for smells etc.
d) I do know of parents whose doctor has prescribed the sleep hormone to help the child get to sleep.  That is something you could discuss with your GP.
But you do need your sleep.  So it is also useful for you to find out about respite care as well.  This is something that would be useful to  your child because they will become more independent, and will be a time when you can catch up on some sleep or just re-charge your own batteries.
Good luck.