Insomnia & Autism
Name: Penelope
Comments: My son was diagnosed with Asperger's. At night he goes to sleep and then get us several times during the night like a routine. Sometimes he says he's thirsty, he can't sleep, he's hearing a noise, it's too hot, it's too cold or whatever else you can think of. Is there anyway I can get my son to sleep through the night? Funny thing is he gets up early in the morning as though he slep soundly all throughout the night. Is insomnia part of Asperger's?
Yes, insomnia is part of both Aspergers and High Functioning Autism. Research shows that people with HFA often suffer from sleep disturbances including insomnia and night waking. There is a drug called Melatonin that is used for autistic kids and their insomnia problem. As usual, the side effects is something that should be considered.
This is a big problem with my sons - all three of them. They get up at night and then cannot go back to sleep. My eldest son had it really bad but he seems to be having a better control over it. However my middle and youngest sons regularly get up at night.