Strategies to Improve Sleep in Children
with Autism Spectrum Disorders
A Parent’s Guide
These materials are the product of on-going activities of the
Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, a funded program of
Autism Speaks. It is supported by cooperative agreement UA3 MC
11054 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child
Health Research Program to the Massachusetts General Hospital.
p.1
A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
This informational booklet is designed to provide parents with strategies to improve sleep in
their child affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Many children with ASD have difficulty with
sleep. This can be stressful for children and their families. The suggestions in this booklet are based on
both research and clinical experience of sleep experts. These strategies are for children of all ages,
including teens, but some of the suggestions (such as avoiding naps) are geared toward older children
who no longer need naps.
The suggestions may help your child get a better night’s sleep and improve his or her sleep/wake
schedule. The booklet includes information such as how to…
Provide a comfortable sleep setting
Establish a regular bedtime routine
Tips to keep a regular schedule
Teach your child to fall asleep alone
Promote daytime behaviors
To help your child sleep better, it is important to address your child’s sleep habits. This can mean
changes to your child’s sleep setting as well as how you talk with your child at bedtime and during night
waking.
Sleep problems such as trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or early morning waking, are common in
typically developing children and in children with ASD. Some symptoms such as snoring, gasping for
breath while sleeping, and/or bedwetting at night, may need further evaluation and
treatment from a sleep specialist.
Many parents may be able to help their children develop better sleep patterns by trying any of the
number of suggestions described in this booklet. When selecting a sleep program, there are a few ideas
to keep in mind in order to achieve success:
Select ideas that work well with your family’s lifestyle.
Begin to implement the plan when you have the time and energy to see if they will work.
Try one small change, and then slowly incorporate other changes.
Be patient. It can take upwards of 2 weeks of persistence to see a change.
How much sleep does my child need?
Typically developing, school-age children often require 10-11 hours of sleep. However, many children with ASD appear
to need less. It is important to keep this in mind as putting a child to bed too early to “get more sleep” may actually
make falling asleep harder. For more pointers about creating a sleep schedule, see page 5.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
PROVIDING A COMFORTABLE SLEEP SETTING
It is important to create a safe, quiet sleep setting for your child. Wherever your child sleeps, there
should be a space at night to sleep that is his/her own. This may be part of a shared bed or the child’s
own bed, but it should be the same each night.
 The bedroom should be comfortable (not too hot and not too cold), quiet, and dark. If the
room is too dark, add a dim night light to your child’s bedroom and leave it on all night. If there is
light coming into the room from streetlights or sunlight in the morning, consider adding heavier
curtains to cover the windows.
 The room should be quiet at night. It is best to avoid things like the radio, television or
music when he/she is falling asleep at night. When noises like these stop during the night, it may
wake your child. Some children may find ‘white noise’ or a low, quiet, and consistent background
sound such as a ceiling fan or air filter soothing. Generally, there should not be noise from other
siblings, or from television, computers, video games or music in nearby rooms.

Consider the environment. Children with ASD may be more aware of noises at night that do
not bother other children. Things such as water running or other household noises can affect sleep.
Children with ASD may have sensitivity problems to things like textures of bedding and pajamas. Try
to find out if these things are affecting your child. For example, does he prefer tight or loose
pajamas, or light or heavy covers?
It is important that you, your partner, and other caregivers follow the same, set routine.
The more regular the routine from one night to the next, the easier it will be for your child to settle to sleep at night.
ESTABLISH REGULAR BEDTIME HABITS
Establish bedtime habits that are short, predictable, and expected. A good routine will help teach your child
how to relax and get ready for sleep. The routine should include soothing activities for your child. The
stability of the routine will be calming to your child each night. Avoid activities before bedtime such as
exciting television programs, movies/videos/electronic games, computers, loud music, or bright lights. It is
best to avoid activities like running, jumping, or rough housing.
Start the routine 15 to 30 minutes before the set bedtime. A younger child will have a shorter routine (e.g.
15 minutes at one year of age) and this will increase as the child grows. However, the routine should not be
more than 60 minutes.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
SIMPLE TIPS TO A BETTER BEDTIME ROUTINE:
 It should take place in the child’s bedroom where it is quiet (other than bathing/teeth
brushing activities).
 Your child will be calmed when the routine is done in the same order each night.
 Young children or children with ASD may benefit from a visual schedule or “to-do list” (e.g.
pictures, words, or both) to help remind them of each step (see below image for an example visual
schedule). This will help your child see that his/her bedtime routine will be the same events in the same
order each night. A visual schedule will also assist other family members and caregivers to follow the
order of the routine. Children who do not respond well to the use of pictures may benefit from using
objects. Each step in their bedtime routine may be captured by an object that is used in that step.
 Determine which events are calming and which events are stimulating for your child.
Those events that are calming for your child should be part of the bedtime routine habit. Stimulating
events should be moved to an earlier time in the evening. For example, if your child finds bathing
stimulating rather than relaxing, move this event to an earlier time in the evening.
Example Bedtime Routine & Visual Schedule
Make the routine calming, short, predictable, & expected.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
KEEP A REGULAR SCHEDULE
Choose a Bedtime…and Keep It. As much as possible (given the changes that go along with
daily life), your child should have a bedtime and wake time that is the same 7 days per week. Pick a
bedtime that works for your child’s age. The bedtime should be one that works well with your own
evening schedule to help with a constant routine each night. If your child’s schedule needs to change
because of new activities or family events, keep track of how this impacts your child’s sleep. You
may need to develop a new schedule or go back to the schedule that worked as soon as you can.
Time It Right. Many children (and adults) tend to get a “second wind” in the hour before
bedtime, and may have trouble falling asleep if they go to bed too early. If your child takes more than
an hour to fall asleep, think about putting off bedtime by 30 minutes to 1 hour to try to help with
sleep.
As They Get Older. Bedtime will become later as your child grows, but it should always be set to
allow enough sleep each day. Older children will also begin to stay up later and sleep later on
weekends. Try to keep their schedule no more than one hour later for bedtime and one hour later for
waking on weekends.
Early to Rise. Even if your child goes to sleep late at times, keep the wake time the same or not
more than one hour later than the normal wake time. Although it may seem better to let your child
‘sleep in’ and catch up on sleep, the more regular the wake time, the better sleep will be.
Nap Time. If your child is younger and has a daytime nap, keep the nap times on a regular
schedule. When possible, the nap should be in the child’s bedroom. Wake your child by 4 pm from
afternoon naps or it will be hard for them to fall asleep at bedtime. If your child is older and has
outgrown the need for a daytime nap, avoid napping unless they are sick. For older children, sleeping
during the day will make it harder to sleep at night.
Food Counts. Additional key points for setting a routine for your child are the time meals are
served. Your child should eat breakfast each morning at around the same time, both on weekdays
and weekend days. At the end of the day, you should not give your child heavy meals or large snacks
late at night. However, a light snack with carbohydrates (e.g. cheese and crackers or fruit) may help
your child fall asleep more easily.
Good Morning Sunshine, Good Night Moon. Exposure to sunlight in the morning and
darkness at night also help keep a regular schedule. When your child wakes up in the morning, open
the curtains and let natural sunlight come into the home. If your child goes to sleep while it is
daylight, make sure the areas for your child’s bedtime routine have dim light and that the bedroom is
dark.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
TEACH YOU R CHILD TO FALL ASLEEP ALONE
Why Should Children Learn to Fall Asleep Alone?
Children and adults naturally wake up several times each night. Each time
we wake up, we check out our sleep environment and then quickly go
back to sleep. These wakings are so brief that we often do not remember
them in the morning.
If your child cannot fall asleep alone, then each time he/she wakes up, it is
hard to fall back asleep without your help. If your child learns to fall
asleep alone, then he/she will also be able to learn to fall back asleep at
times of natural night waking, and wake more rested in the morning.
How Do I Teach Them?
Just as children have learned over time to fall asleep with your guidance, you will have to teach them to fall asleep
alone. This should be done gradually and over a few weeks’ time. For example, if you usually lie down with your child
at bedtime, you can change your pattern by sitting on the bed for a few nights and then sitting in a chair beside the
bed. Continue sitting in the chair, but move it farther from the bed each night until you are out of the room and out
of visual contact with your child. While you are making these changes, reduce the amount of attention you pay to
your child such as talking, facial expressions, or eye contact.
Once you are out of your child’s bedroom, if he/she is upset and not sleeping, you can wait a few minutes, and then
go back into the room to check. When you go into the room, make it a brief visit (less than a minute) and only give
limited physical or verbal contact (e.g. a quick hug). Gently but firmly say, “It is time for bed. You are ‘OK.’ Good
night,” and then leave the room.
If you need to go back into the room, wait longer each time and make each visit with your child brief. Once your child
is able to fall asleep alone, then you can use the same techniques if he/she wakes in the night, or before wake time in
the morning.
A Tool for Teaching: Bedtime Pass
A bedtime pass (see right) is a useful tool for older children. This is a
card (or other object) that your child can present to you if he/she wakes
at night. Your child may use it to trade for something brief, such as a
quick hug or a drink of water.
Your child should be taught that they may only use the pass one time
during the night, and that once the pass is used, it will be given to you.
You will return the pass to the child the following night to use again.
Teach your child that if the pass is not used all night, it can be traded for
a morning present. You can also set up a reward system. For example,
for every night the child does not use the pass, he/she gets a sticker. If
your child collects a certain number of stickers (e.g. five) they receive a
special gift. The presents can be dollar store items or a special outing
with you.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
ENCOURAGE BEHAVIORS THAT PROMOTE SLEEP
Physical Activity
Caffeinated Foods & Beverages
Exercise during the day helps your child sleep better
at night. Children and adults who exercise find it
Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause an ‘alerting effect’
and keep your child awake at night. The effect of
easier to fall asleep at night and have deeper
sleep. If your child does not get regular exercise at
caffeine stays in the body for 3 to 5 hours and up to
12 hours. If your child has caffeinated foods or
school, try to schedule this at home.
beverages (e.g., chocolate, coffee, tea, and soda) in the
afternoon or evening they may have difficulty sleeping.
Some children sleep best when these products are taken
completely out of their diet. Most children are able to
sleep as long as they avoid caffeinated foods or
beverages several hours before bedtime.
Make sure the time for exercise is early in the day, as
stimulating exercise close to bedtime may make it
harder to fall asleep. Be sure all hard or tiring activity
ends two to three hours prior to bedtime.
What about my other children?
Many families wonder how changes in one child’s sleep habits will affect their other children. Often, the impact of a
consistent routine is good for everyone.
Helping Hands: It may help to think about ways that brothers and sisters can help each other fall asleep. Allowing all
children to use a visual schedule may help the child who has sleep problems learn to use a visual schedule. When
everyone in the family is doing the same thing, it may be easier for your child to learn a new skill.
Play Together, Stay Together: It also helps to think about the activity level before bed. Brothers and sisters can help
each other engage in calming activities.
Scattered Bedtimes: Some families find it helps to have their children go to bed at slightly different times. This lets
parents give some “one-on-one” time to each child before bedtime. If your children do go to bed at different times,
think about the noise level for the child who is winding down.
Sleep Setting: It may also help to think about the best sleep setting for your child. Some children do best in their own
room, while others do well when they sleep in the same room with a brother or sister.
What if I have made changes but my child’s sleep has not improved?
If these suggestions do not work for you and your child, or his/her sleep remains disturbed, you should talk to your
child’s doctor to find out if a meeting with a sleep specialist is needed. It may be helpful to explore any medical
reasons that your child is not sleeping well and to determine if there are any medications that may help your child
sleep better. Melatonin supplements have shown promise in small studies as have other medications to help sleep.
These medications should be given under the care of a medical specialist.
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A Parent’s Guide to Improving Sleep in Children with Autism
RESOURCES
The Autism Speaks Family Services Department offers resources, tool kits, and support to help manage
the day-to-day challenges of living with autism www.autismspeaks.org/family-services. If you are
interested in speaking with a member of the Autism Speaks Family Services Team contact the Autism
Response Team (ART) at 888-AUTISM2 (288-4762), or by email at [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was developed by Shelly K. Weiss, MD, FRCPC, Child Neurologist at the Hospital for Sick
Children (SickKids), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Beth Ann Malow, MD, MS,
Neurologist and Director of the Sleep Disorders Program of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee,
as a product of the Autism Treatment Network (ATN), a program of Autism Speaks. The valuable
assistance of the members of the ATN Sleep Committee in reviewing this document, including Terry Katz,
PhD, Psychologist, University of Colorado School of Medicine , and Kim Frank, M.Ed, Educational
Consultant, Vanderbilt University, is gratefully acknowledged. The bedtime pass concept was developed
by Dr. Patrick Friman (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 1999)
This document was edited, designed, and produced by Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network /
Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health communications department. We are grateful
for review and suggestions by many, including by families associated with the Autism Speaks Autism
Treatment Network. This publication may be distributed as is or, at no cost, may be individualized as an
electronic file for your production and dissemination, so that it includes your organization and its most
frequent referrals. For revision information, please contact [email protected].
These materials are the product of on-going activities of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network,
a funded program of Autism Speaks. It is supported by cooperative agreement UA3 MC 11054 through
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration,
Maternal and Child Health Research Program to the Massachusetts General Hospital. Its contents are
solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the MCHB,
HRSA, HHS.
p.8
What Can I Do When My Child Has Problems With Sleep?
Many children with ADHD have difficulty sleeping at night,
whether or not they are on medication. This is partially related
to the ADHD; parents often describe their children as being “on
the go” and collapsing late at night. It may also be due to the fact
that stimulant medication has worn off, making it more difficult
for them to manage their behavior. Lastly, some children have
difficulty falling asleep because the stimulants affect them the
same way caffeine affects adults.
■
Bedtimes and waking times should be the same 7 days
a week.
It is easier to enforce a waking time than a bedtime.
■
Develop bedtime rituals/routines.
A bedtime ritual is a powerful sign that it is time to sleep.
It needs to be simple so the child can “re-create” the ritual
even if the parent is not present.
Try writing out the bedtime ritual to make it consistent.
■
■
■
Avoid activities that depend on a parent’s presence,
including rocking or holding the child until he or she
falls asleep.
■
Make the bedroom a sleep-only zone.
Remove most toys, games, televisions, computers, and
radios from your child’s bedroom if your child is having
trouble falling asleep or is often up at night.
One or two stuffed animals are acceptable.
■
Consider marking successful nights on a star chart and
providing rewards at the end of the week.
■
Limit time in bed.
Hours spent awake in bed interfere with good sleep patterns;
the goal is to make the child’s bed a place for sleeping only.
Be aware of how much sleep children need at different ages.
Even though adults need about 8 hours of sleep, infants and
toddlers often sleep more than 12 hours and children usually
sleep 10 hours. Teenagers also need lots of sleep, sometimes
requiring 9 hours or more.
Waking up at night is a habit.
Social contact with parents, feeding, and availability of
interesting toys encourage the child to be up late, so set
limits on attention-getting behaviors at night.
Letting children cry themselves to sleep is not
recommended.
Teach them to soothe themselves, such as giving the child
a special blanket, a picture of the parent(s), or a stuffed
animal to hold while falling asleep.
Chart your child’s progress.
Praise your child for successful quiet nights.
Background noises, location, sleep partners, bedding,
favorite toys, and lighting can all affect a child’s ability
to fall asleep.
■
Establish daytime routines.
Regular mealtimes and activity times, including playtime
with parents, also help set sleep times.
Pay attention to the sleep environment.
A cool, dark, quiet room is best.
Avoid drinks with caffeine.
Caffeine is present in a wide range of beverages, such as
tea, soda, cocoa, and coffee. Drinking these beverages past
the afternoon may make it more difficult for your child to
settle down to sleep.
Here are a few tips:
■
Establish consistent waking times.
■
Consider medical problems.
Allergy, asthma, or conditions that cause pain can disrupt
sleep. If your child snores loudly and/or pauses in breathing,
talk to your doctor.
■
Try medications to help your child sleep only under the
care of your child’s doctor.
Medications need to be used very carefully in young
children. Many medications can have complications and
make sleep worse.
Some children with ADHD may actually be helped by a
small dose of a stimulant medication at bedtime. Paradoxically, this dose may help a child to get organized for sleep.
Some children may ultimately need other bedtime
medications—at least for a little while—to help improve
sleep. Talk with your doctor before starting any over-thecounter or prescription medications.
Adapted from material developed by Laurel K. Leslie, MD, San Diego ADHD Project, and from material developed by Henry L. Shapiro, MD, FAAP, for the Pediatric
Development and Behavior Web site (www.dbpeds.org).
The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the
medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that
your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
Copyright ©2002 American Academy of Pediatrics and National Initiative for Children’s
Healthcare Quality
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