Why Do Children with Autism Suffer from Sleep Issues?

In order for providers to help children with autism or similar disorders achieve higher quality and adequate amounts of sleep, they need to understand the varieties in sleep patterns among the different genetic syndromes. It is for this reason that Jeste always asks families about their child’s sleep patterns, and how he or she responds to sleep treatments.

Sleeping problems are incredibly common among children with autism. Inadequate sleep plagues up to 70 percent of children with autism, while only 20 percent of children in the general population struggle with this. For some children, such as those with CHD8 mutations, this can involve being awake for days at a time.