Autism and Sleep Struggles

The number one question I am most commonly asked is…does your son with autism sleep? And if he does, give us your secrets.

The answer is yes. He sleeps now. But he didn’t for nearly six years.

Cooper did not sleep through the night until he was 4.5 years old. As a newborn he slept 6-8 hours in a 24 hour period and never slept longer than a 45 minute period. The sleep deprivation was torture. Around age 4.5 Cooper started sleeping but woke up before 4 am for a year. Honestly, that was harder than the multiple wake ups.

Let’s just say, I’ve tried everything to get my son to sleep. We tried black out curtains, sound machines, night lights, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, music, essential oils, etc. We tried it all. And nothing worked. That is until I figured out that Cooper was waking up from either pain or anxiety. Or both. I turned my energy to fixing his his constipation and ear infections. I modified his diet to reduce inflammation. We reduced his stress and anxiety by giving him a way to communicate. None of it was easy. In fact it felt like an impossible uphill mountain at times. But we did it. And once we did, my kid began to sleep.

I refused to accept the answer…Your son isn’t sleeping because he is autistic. I began looking for answers instead of excuses.

Today, at age seven, my son sleeps from 9:30 pm to 7 am. It was a long road to get here. But we did it.

Now, I firmly believe that sleep issues are directly correlated to pain. I am not a doctor nor am I an expert. I just like to share the little nuggets of wisdom that I have learned. Maybe they won’t help you or your child. But, maybe they will!

Take a listen to our journey with sleep.

https://youtu.be/PsjJ4g94Dyo

Blog Post: Autism and Supplements
Blog Post: Gut Health and Autism

Two products that we use to help Cooper sleep. The Snuggle Sheet and Weighted Comforter both provide compression and reduce Cooper’s anxiety while sleeping. I recommend them both!

Snuggle Sheet (Love this thing!)
Weighted Comforter

You can follow Kate and Cooper’s journey at www.findingcoopersvoice.com. Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook at Finding Cooper’s Voice.