It's no secret how important sleep is, for both children and their parents or caregivers. However, the demands are higher when taking care of a little one with autism. According to various studies, 50-80% of autistic children can suffer from sleeping problems.
Common Sleep Issues in Autistic Children
According to Evelyn Romero, Manager of Clinical Services and Quality Assurance at Toronto?s Geneva Centre for Autism, the most common sleep issues include difficulty getting to bed and waking multiple times throughout the night. Additional sleep issues include:

Waking too early
Night terrors
Staying in bed and calling out
Dependence on certain conditions to fall asleep, such as being close to a parent or having the TV or lights on

These concerns are not only disruptive but can cause daytime sleepiness and additional behavioural or learning difficulties.
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Assessment of Sleep Difficulties
I vividly remember singing Tanya Goodman?s "Lullaby for Teddy" to my son Andrew. The song asks the child to close their eyes and then Teddy, a fictional character who is very tired, will also go to sleep.

As I write in Hold on Tight, ?I thought Andrew looked forward to this calming lullaby each evening. Only years later did he admit how terrified he had been of the lyrics, believing in his little mind that Teddy was never going to wake up and that he would die. Unbeknownst to me, he was traumatized so many nights, heightening his anxiety.?

When he told ...