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You are here: Home / Autism / My Kid Doesn’t Sleep

My Kid Doesn’t Sleep

February 29, 2016 by Lisa 2 Comments

Recent study: Sleep & Kids with Autism.

When the study showed up in my email inbox earlier this month, I literally LOL’d. Because really? I needed a study to tell me this.

My Kid Doesn't Sleep at Night Atypical Familia - Autism & Sleep

IG photo from 2/29/2012 | Caption: It’s 3:30 am do you know what your child is doing? I’m trying to get mine back to sleep. #autism #needsleep #insomnia http://instagr.am/p/HlTYx-oh-O/

Here’s a snippet of the press release:

Trouble Sleeping Linked to Behavior Problems in Children with Autism

“Past research has found that children with ASD often have trouble sleeping at night. Many children with ASD also struggle with regulating their behavior during the day,” said Micah Mazurek, assistant professor of health psychology in the MU School of Health Professions and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and co-author of the study. “Research on children without ASD has found that lack of sleep can contribute to these behavioral problems. In this study, we were specifically interested in whether sleep is related to challenging behavior in children with ASD.”

Children who weren’t sleeping well had greater problems with aggression, irritability and paying attention during the day. They found that children who awakened frequently throughout the night had the most trouble regulating their behavior.

“If parents are noticing that their children are having behavioral problems, it may be helpful to make sure they are sleeping well at night,” Mazurek recommended.

I hate to break it to these folks, but it just ain’t that easy.

And whatever “behaviors” Norrin has, it doesn’t really have anything to do with his lack of sleep. I’ve sent him to school with 4 hours of sleep and warned the teacher, only to have her tell me that Norrin’s had a great day. So, go figure?

My kid just doesn’t sleep.

I’ve tried Melatonin. I’ve tried lavender and consistent bedtime routines. I’ve tried letting him go to sleep later, hoping he’ll sleep through the night. Nothing has made a difference. I’ve stopped trying. Because trying to get my kid to sleep is exhausting.

When he wakes in the middle of the night, it’s often after midnight, usually between 3 – 4 am. Norrin wakes with giddy excitement. Ready to play. Turning on lights. Pulling out books to read. Singing songs. Dumping his Lego bricks or cars out of their bins, clattering on the hard wood floor. He’s talking, giggling, making eye contact.

Related: How Playing With LEGO Helped My Son with Autism

When he wakes up, I wake up. Sometimes letting him play, laying in his bed or in mine with one eye open. Mindful that at any moment, he could run into the kitchen to use the microwave or open the front door (because he has). And other times coaxing him back to his bed.

And just today, my Facebook memories reminded me that it’s been years since Norrin has slept through the entire night.

(Thanks Facebook!)

Well that’s not really true. Last night, he actually slept the entire night. But those nights are few and far between.

I’ve probably jinxed myself now. He’ll be up all night tonight.

Do your kids sleep?

ICYMI on Latinamom.me Stages of Sleep Depravation in GIFs: 10 things all moms experience in the mourning of lost sleep

Related

Filed Under: Autism, Autism Parenting, Response to Studies, Sleep Tagged With: Atypical Kid, Atypical Mami, Autism Parenting, Keeping It Real, Sometimes You Gotta Laugh

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Comments

  1. Gala says

    March 1, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    Hi,
    my son would wake up every single night till he was 5 years old and we tried to remove gluten from his diet.
    No problem after we went gluten free. Have you tried anything like that?

    Reply
  2. Autism's Love says

    March 4, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    I love this post! The moment I saw the title I laughed because it almost perfectly described my household. Both me and my son are on the spectrum, so neither of us sleep. Even our little Dog Ginger follows suit. She not only follows our sleep or should I say sleepless patterns, she also feel most comfortable being near us, but not facing us. She fits in perfectly. Love Love Love our life!!!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. I'm a 40-something mom raising a son with autism in The Bronx, NYC.

Atypical Familia is a personal blog & resource site for Typical Parents raising Extraordinary Kids. We focus on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. This is parenting from a unique perspective.

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I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. Get to know more about me and my familia!

Atypical Familia focuses on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. If you'd like to work with us, send us an email: autismwonderland(@)gmail.com. 

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🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to mis 🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to miss a thing.
I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m easily distracted. P.S. Why didn’t y’all tell me about Married at First Sight sooner?! How is it that 9 seasons in, I’m just discovering it?
cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 woke up grateful for another day and the life I’ve been able to create. Day by day, my life gets better because I get better. It’s been a slow process. First I had to figure out the life I wanted. Then I had to realize that I DESERVE the life I wanted.
Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. C Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. Change. Complain. Accept. Deny. Accomplish. Regret. Finish. Quit. 
I DECIDE. 👊🏽
🦋 🦋
🖤 🖤
It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful not It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful nothing in my life turned out the way I planned. My life is turning out to be exactly the way it’s supposed to be. My HPs plan is better than I could’ve ever dreamed of. 🌻
Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything. Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything.
Never ever 🖤🌀 Never ever 🖤🌀
4🔥5 . . . . . As per my young friends “This 4🔥5 
.
.
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.
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As per my young friends “This gotta go on the grid. This is not a story pic.” 🤣🤣🤣 Thank you for this collective effort 📷 @ashestogoodvibes @loutimes5 💛 #flyageless
euphoria: the feeling or state of intense exciteme euphoria: the feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness 🌻 I may struggle with depression and anxiety but I also have moments of pure and genuine happiness. That is where I am right now. One of the gifts I’ve received in sobriety is the ability to hold space for all of my emotions. I feel them, I acknowledge them and I let them pass. For me, it’s in the passing where the power is... I don’t stay in it. ✨ 45 is going to be amazing. ✨
Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. B Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. But I continue to get up. I do my hair, throw on some hoops, dab a little gloss and give myself a pep talk. Dear Me, I know you’re scared, but you can handle this. Keep going. Love, Me 🌻#selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO a No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO and keep it moving. ”No” is hard when you’re a people pleaser but boundaries are absolutely necessary. It’s something I’m learning to do to maintain my own peace of mind. Lack of boundaries invites lack of respect. And I respect myself way too much to allow anyone to disrespect me. 💥 periodt ✌🏼 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. After meditating and writing my list, I opened my Beautiful You book. Describing myself in 25 words or less without using roles or physical features was not easy. It took a little time. But I did. Making healthy choices, setting boundaries is a daily practice. I am grateful I have the willingness to do so. I am grateful I can pause and breathe through my anxiety. I am grateful I have the courage to follow my dreams. Thank you @rosiemolinary - I am grateful for your words and online presence in my life. Hope we can be in the same room again soon. xoxo amiga 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand th One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand the loneliness. More so during the quarantine. As painful as it has been, it’s allowed me to heal. The solitude forced me to figure myself out. I may not always be happy about my situation, but I am happy with myself. And I think it shows. 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
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