One way to aid sleep that is gaining traction is the use of melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland (and regulated by serotonin) that governs a person’s sleep pattern. There has been some research that shows that many people with autism have a significant imbalance in their serotonin levels. When these serotonin levels are off, the body will have difficulty regulating the amount of melatonin produced by the pineal gland. This may be one reason why many children with autism have difficulties sleeping.

Recently, there was a small study (12 children) regarding the potential use of melatonin as a sleep aid published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (April 15, 2009) that showed some potential. For this small sample, children ranging from 2 to 15 years old took melatonin for two weeks and a placebo for two weeks. Overall, the study showed some promise.

While taking the melatonin, the children’s overall length sleep increased by 21 minutes and the length of time it took for the child to fall asleep decreased by 42 minutes. Dosage levels ranged from 0.5 mg to 10 mg depending on age, body weight, etc. Melatonin was given approximately 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime to increase its effectiveness.

Although promising, there are caveats to this—and other studies—regarding the use of melatonin:

First, the study mentioned here has an extremely small sample and was not a blind study; the parents knew when they were giving their child a placebo and the melatonin.
Secondly, there have been no long-term studies to determine how prolonged use of melatonin affects children—adversely or positively.

Significantly, a number of scholarly journals as well as Medline Plus—a website run by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health—all say essentially the same thing: “Well-designed controlled trials in select patient populations are needed before a stronger or more specific recommendation can be made.” (www.nlh.nih.gov/medlineplus)

Parents want what is best for their children, and there is a possibility that melatonin could be an answer to their autistic child’s sleep problems. However, it is likely that melatonin isn’t the only answer; rather it might be one piece to a jigsaw puzzle that improves an autistic child’s sleep. Even though melatonin is classified as an herbal supplement in the United States, you should always consult with a doctor before beginning use.

Sadly, these stereotypes often hamper the treatment and care that children with autism receive in the community. Therefore, it is important that the general public be educated about autism or else negative connotations and Hollywood-constructed archetypes will continue to be the norm, not the exception.

As such, tired and exhausted though you may be from the day-to-day grind of raising your autistic child, it is still important that we all act to make sure that people understand our children in order for them to have better lives.

Most people are not ready to run a year-round, sophisticated, public relations campaign in order to make our town and city peers aware of what we face every day. However, Congress set aside April as Autism Awareness Month. Therefore, as you seek to increase the quality of life for you and your child, there are some specific steps that you can take to help raise awareness one month per year.

• Write letters to the editor: Most cities and towns have local or alternative newspapers and are receptive to having their local constituents write letters about topics of their own choosing. During April, or any time throughout the year, get as many of your friends and family to write in giving basic facts about autism. At least one of them could get printed.

• Seek City/Town Council recognition: This actually takes a little bit of planning, but is still pretty easy to do. Call the city clerk’s office in March and tell them that National Autism Awareness Month is coming up in April and that you and a few other parents in the community would like the city (or town) council to draw up a proclamation detailing a few facts (which you are happy to provide) about autism.

• Have a booth at a local event: Most localities have some sort of farmer’s market or fair these days. Ask the general manager of the market about having a booth for a couple of Saturdays so that you can provide information to the general public about autism. Bring a table, a chair, and some literature to pass out to the people going by. This is also a nice way to meet others in your community who may be affected by autism in some way.

These are the most basic principles to public awareness and advocacy. It is important that the general public understand what autism is and how it relates to our children in particular. Don’t expect that stereotypes and opinions will change overnight; we know that’s not how it works, but that’s not a reason to minimize the potential your own personal public awareness campaign might have. All you have to do is touch one person, change one person’s view of autism to have made a positive impact with your awareness campaign. After all, you never know who that one person might be.

What researchers know is that it can seriously hamper your child’s health…as well as your own. On average, a 3- to 6-year-old child needs approximately 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night. Many children with autism do not get the requisite hours of sleep, whether it’s due to an inability to read social cues (such as their siblings getting ready for bed); or may it’s because children with autism have a different internal clock.

Perhaps it has to do with a deficiency in melatonin production within the body due to low serotonin levels—there are currently a number of studies researching how melatonin affects the sleep patterns of children with autism. To date, the studies are encouraging but hardly all encompassing. Other reasons for an inability to fall asleep (or stay asleep) may relate to an autistic child’s sensitivity to outside stimuli or even a child’s reaction to that stimuli resulting in anxiety.

How, then, can you combat these forces which at times seem overwhelming? As any parent with an autistic child well knows, there are no easy answers. While autistic children might have similar characteristics and behaviors, and respond similarly in like situations, there is no one cure-all. However, there are quite a few techniques that might be able to help.

• Some children crave the touch of a human being. It might be worth your while to take the time to give your child a massage, beginning with the legs and arms and moving on from there.

• As mentioned before, some children with autism go to sleep more easily if they take melatonin shortly before bedtime. Consider starting off with 1 mg and working your way up. Of course, consult with your child’s doctor before giving your child any new over-the-counter medications.

• Many children with autism need some sort of stimulation to help them negate unwanted outside stimuli. To this end, you might try getting a therapy ball and bouncing him or her, or try gently rocking back and forth.

• Playing soothing music (perhaps Mozart or classical guitar) softly in the background might also help your child to go to sleep and stay asleep.

As you know, there is almost never just one panacea. More than likely you will have to do two or more of these and other little tricks to get your child to sleep well and stay asleep. Also, it is very likely that none of these tips will work immediately. You might find that you need to do each, some or all of the tips given to you over the course of 10 to 14 days to start to see the effect. Make sure that you give these tips the appropriate time needed to work for you and your autistic child.

You and your wife are at a cocktail party. Men and women divide, equally and normally along gender lines. Soon, the conversation turns from work and the economy to how the family is doing. You hate this conversation. As the circle begins to close in around you, you take a step back so that you are on the outside.

One friend brags about how his precious little Brittany is already sleeping through the night at 3½ months. Another friend starts talking about how he is sure that his precocious prodigy, Biff, will be a phenomenal athlete and scholar and he knows this because Biff is way advanced for a 2-year-old and he knows because he read an article once…that would be your friend who read the article, not Biff. Although if you ask your friend, he is certain that Biff can read because he held up a card on your birthday and said, “Dadadadada” meaning that the card was for dad, even though your friend’s name is, Hampton, so…yeah.

You listen quietly, still meekly standing on the outside of the circle while your friends brag about how great their children are. You aren’t sure what to say, because your child is autistic.

As quickly as the conversation started, it subsides and the immediate surroundings grow quiet. You feel like everyone is looking with pity and there is an uncomfortable silence. No one quite knows what to say. They know that your child does not sleep through the night, even at age 5, and he is much more likely to be interested in watching paint dry than engaging in some sort of social interaction with a peer group, let alone letting you parade him around through the living room so that all of your friends can “oooh and ahhh” while you brag.

As you shift from one leg to another, your only thought is that you and your spouse are so alone in this world. No one else understands what you are going through: the sleepless nights as a result of having an autistic child that wakes up and wanders throughout the house trying to get into…well…everything. No one understands the endless parade through your house (and wallet!) of doctors, speech therapists, behavioral consults, cognitive behavioral consults, cognitive behavioral therapists, and analytical behavior psycho-whatevers! No one understands how it is suddenly impossible to have friends because their children are “normal.”

You and your wife steal furtive glances across the room because no one else understands. You look at your watch doing the mental calculation of when you got there and how quickly you can leave without seeming to be rude. And then, something amazing happens.

Someone outside your immediate circle taps you on the shoulder and asks, “Hey, my name is Julie, and my daughter’s autistic. Bob mentioned to me that your son is, too. We’ve had a really hard time getting her to go to sleep; do you have a similar problem? If so, do you have any advice?” You feel as if the clouds opened, the Red Sea parted, and the proverbial monkey was off your back. Someone else has a child like yours!

Of course that is not how it will really happen, but the point is the same. Currently, three to six children out of every 1,000 children born will have autism. That means that if you live in a small town of 600 people, statistically speaking, there will likely be at least one other family who has an autistic child. You are most definitely not alone.

And yet, when faced with the fact that your children may not be “normal,” it can become isolating and possibly even a divisive force within a marriage. There are two steps that you can take to help make things at least a little more palatable:

1. Listen to each other. Just remember that the most important part about a dialogue isn’t that two people talk, but each person also listens. You’re raising your child together and you’ll be facing the same challenges, but by virtue of the fact that you’re different people, you’ll have different viewpoints. Use this to your advantage and as a source of strength.

2. Find a support group. If you can’t find one, consider starting one. Being able to talk to other people who are currently facing the same issues as you is invaluable. They may have found some creative solutions to problems that you have been having. You can share stories of good days and bad days, share resources and information about doctors and teachers, celebrate triumphs, and maybe even discuss parental fears.

In a world surrounded by images and tales of “perfect” children, and a society that continually tells you that if your child doesn’t fit into these social norms than he or she is lacking, don’t believe it. And don’t, for a second, believe that you are alone in having an autistic child.

Autistic Children and Sleep

Research indicates that autistic children have trouble sleeping. According to the Autism Society of American, “Most parents have had some experience with an autistic child who has difficulty falling asleep, wakes up frequently during the night, or only sleeps a few hours each night.”

As parents of autistic children know, troublesome sleeping patterns can affect a child’s ability to learn, communicate, and control emotions. Therefore, it’s important to work on establishing some bedtime habits to quiet and calm a child and prepare him or her for a good night’s sleep. After telling a child “It’s time to go to bed,” try to establish a bedtime ritual that your child relates to for preparing to sleep. For example, bath time or story time can be good and effective ways to help calm a child. In many cases, autistic children like and even thrive on the rituals and patterns in their lives, therefore, creating “events” that a child associates with bedtime might help him or her become accustomed to a series of events that lead to bedtime each night. Any bedtime rituals for an autistic child should be calming in nature. Avoid playtime, games, computers, and television while preparing your child for sleep.

Unfortunately, bedtime rituals don’t work for every autistic child. However, a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine determined that “over-the-counter melatonin medication can shorten the length of time it takes for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) or both to fall asleep at the beginning of the night.” (2009). Children taking melatonin treatments showed improvement in “total night sleep durations, sleep latency times, and sleep-onset times” more than children taking a placebo did. Of course, parents and caregivers of autistic children should talk to their child’s doctor before beginning any new over-the-counter or prescription medications. It’s also important for parents of autistic children to discuss their child’s sleep patterns with his or her doctor to rule out other medical conditions such as allergies or sleep apnea that could contribute to sleep disorders.

Another potential solution that will keep a child from wandering out of bed and throughout the house at night which in turn might help your child sleep more through the night is Noah’s Bed, which offers a unique, child-friendly design. Noah’s Bed was designed and created by parents of an active autistic child and has been in use for several years. If you are worried about your child getting out of bed each night or if your child’s sleeping patterns are affecting your sleep, Noah’s Bed could be the solution you are looking for to ensure you and your autistic child get a good night’s sleep.

Noah's World Bed for Children with Autism and other Sleep Disorders

“This bed allows my wife and I the opportunity to sleep through the night because we know that Noah is safe and happy. This bed has literally changed our lives as well as Noah’s. I cannot imagine my life the last two years with out this bed!!!” – Matt Volk – Noah’s World Bed Creator

• Do you have a child that has a diagnosis in the Autism Spectrum that prevents them from sleeping a “normal” amount?
• Do you have to be up all hours of the night to make sure that your child is safe?
• Are you one of the thousands of parents suffering from sleep deprivation right now?

If you have a child that needs care throughout the night, this bed was made for you!

Like thousands of other families affected by Autism, we stayed up night after night with our loving boy. Since this was our second child, this was natural for us a first. We soon discovered that Noah was not progressing normally, and he was soon diagnosed with Autism. Three years passed with my wife and I caring for our boy. Every night was different, and we never felt rested.

When Noah turned three he became too big for his crib. We feared he might climb out so we moved him into his own bed. This began a whole new set of issues for us. Now that he had freedom, we would find him getting out of bed and exploring throughout the night. We were concerned about this because his room is on our second level and right next to a tall set of stairs. We began looking for solutions. Certainly other parents were dealing with this. What were they doing? Were we alone? We searched and searched the Internet looking for answers but the only thing we found were hospital beds that cost well over $10,000. This was not going to work for us. So we began to think about how we could fix this on our own.

My neighbor (and now business) partner was in the carpentry business and had been building cabinets and furniture for the past 20 years. He and I talked about the situation and began to design and develop this bed. The design went through numerous revisions and tweaks until we got it just right…That was close to two years ago and this bed has changed our life in so many ways.

We recently received a patent for the bed and have decided to make this bed available to other families who are currently facing this issue.

Noah has been in his bed for two years now and absolutely loves it. He is still up at night, but he is zipped in safely and the rest of the family can sleep knowing that Noah is happy and safe.

The patented design of The Noah’s World Autism Sleep Bed is amazing. The wooden construction is finely crafted out of solid wood by Co-Founder Chris Stupp, who has 20 plus years as a craftsman and successful business owner. The cushioned inside padding is soft to touch and the zippers are strong and resistant to breakage. The exterior of the Noah’s Bed is individually sewn and we use only the strongest materials to maximize the strength and durability of the bed. We have made the best bed we could mostly because we knew our child was going into it.

Each bed is individually inspected for quality before it is shipped to you. We’re confident you will get the best bed on the market for Autistic children. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, please contact us immediately so we can help make it right for you. If we cannot solve your issues or objections we will gladly refund 100% of your purchase price.

The Noah’s Bed was awarded United States Patent number US D554,871 S on November 13th , 2007.

Order your bed today for $3597 Act Now to get this introductory offer of $3297.00 (Shipping fees not included)

Make Sure your child is safe at night!  Give yourself

the sleep you need to be the best parent you can be!!!!

• Sleep through the night knowing your child is safe
• Give your child a safe place to sleep
• Provide a contained play environment for your child

Autism and At-Risk Behaviors

Classical autism, a subgroup of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), is a complex, neurological disorder generally occurring with the first three years of life. According to a Mayo Clinic Report, approximately three to six children out of 1,000 have autism. However, it’s possible that ratio is even greater. We do know that the numbers have gone up dramatically over the last quarter century.

Researchers are still not entirely sure of the reason for the dramatic increase in diagnoses of autism, although quite a few believe that it is actually a sign of doctor’s becoming more aware and diagnosing the disorder properly. Whatever the case, autism still is shrouded in mystery, and leaders in the autism research field are still trying to determine what causes autism.

What they do know, however, is that there are certain indications that will show a child is in the “at risk” category. Few doctors will diagnose a child with autism before the age of three due to a wide variance in normal human development. However, there are certain signs of autism that can be observed prior to age three that will put a child in the at risk category. They are:

1. Lack of social ability. Many children with autism have a difficult time interacting with other children. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “…a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item…” Parents are frequently the first to put two-and-two together, seeing an unusual reluctance to play or even be interested in other children.

2. Communication. Many people who are autistic have a difficult time communicating, both verbally and non-verbally. If a child is not able to have some sort of interrogative with his parent, either through simple grunts or hand gestures, this may be a sign a child is at risk.

3. Obsessive behaviors and interests. Although obsessive–compulsive disorder has become a bit of a cocktail party joke, parents with an autistic child know just how debilitating a problem it can be. Children who are at risk are more likely to become obsessed with an inanimate object such as a door or sofa than they are likely to be interested in interacting with a peer.

Just because your child might exhibit all three signs does not mean that he or she will be autistic, and it does not mean your autistic child cannot lead a quality life. There is new research coming out every day which shows that by beginning to work with at-risk children, in an effort to get them as comfortable as possible with peer interaction, is helpful in lessening or preventing future behavioral and anti-social difficulties.

As we learn more about autism, we can begin to counteract many of its effects so our children can lead better lives.

Resources for Parents

In the “old days” (say, before the mid-1990s), there was no such thing as the internet. When a person wanted to find out information, he or she put on hiking boots and started the long uphill walk (both ways in the snow) to the local community library. Once there, he or she had to look for resources and information in a card catalogue, which directed people to various books throughout the library. Of course, libraries continue to be great free resources of information.

Today, we also have the world wide web and all of the resources that are associated with it. Luckily, most libraries have internet connections so new resources and research are also available to everyone—even if you do not have internet access in your home. As autism gains recognition, there are more and more websites devoted to general information about the disorder. Even better, institutions and colleges that used to be virtually off limits to the general public, now throw open their virtual doors allowing hoi polloi to browse their voluminous tomes of information and research.

While much of the research available is technical jargon that might be difficult for even the most steadfast student of human development to read, there is still a great deal of common sense material available with just a few clicks of a button. Many of these institutions will have watered down frequently asked question (FAQ) sheets or general information that is fairly easy to find (and if you’d like, printout).

One such organization is the National Autism Association (www.nationalautismassociation.org). They have a great deal of information about autism in general as well as a list of local autism chapters that are spread intermittently throughout the continental United States. In addition, they have a section devoted exclusively to various treatments for autism, although, at this time, they do not make a recommendation for one type of treatment over another.

Don’t be afraid, however, to check out resources outside of the country, such as the National Autistic Society (NAS), which is based in the United Kingdom (www.nas.org.uk). The NAS is a leader in the fight to bring autism awareness in the U.K. and has specific information for parents, grandparents, partners, siblings, etc. They also have a media center, which could be important if you are acting as an advocate because you do not feel that you are getting the response you deserve. As a friend’s daughter once said, “I’m going to ask the same question, but this time I want a different answer.”

Another site that has a wealth of information is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (www.ninds.nih.gov). Again, because this is a large government institution, it is a clearinghouse of information. There will be generic information for the layperson as well as more detailed information that a seasoned reader will be able to sink his or her teeth into including research literature, and other resources and organizations that provide information for parent’s of autistic children.

There are, of course, other good sources of general autistic information. If you are a parent, grandparent, or caregiver of a child who was has been diagnosed with autism, begin your internet research to orient yourself with the basic facts. About.com and WebMD.com provide basic autistic information and include references to other sites and organizations.

Parents and caregivers should also talk with their child’s doctors and therapists and ask questions about issues that concern them and their autistic child. It is likely that your child’s medical team will be able to point you toward even more resources for autistic children and families in your community.

Whatever resources you decide to use, try to remember one thing: It is vital that you educate yourself. There is nothing easy about being a parent of an autistic child, but it’s even harder if you don’t understand the neurological disorder.

Raising a Child with Autism

My grandmother rarely talks about raising her third son, who was autistic. He was defined as autistic almost before there was a classical definition for autism. My dad and uncles remember what life was like having an autistic child in the family. The attention was taken away from them, and they witnessed lots of their brother’s temper tantrums. They also remember my grandfather gently cooing, in the hopes that he could calm him down at night, “Mikey Pete, Mikey Pete, you’re so sweet, don’t rock that seat.” Sadly, it never quite settled down their brother.

Ultimately, my grandparents were unable to take care of my uncle, and they sent him away to a state institution, as many other parents of autistic children did in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was before Sen. Robert F. Kennedy stood on the steps of Willowbrook calling the institution “criminal.” They didn’t know how awful it was. Once they did, it was too late.

Now, of course, we know the price of admitting a child with autism into a state institution. As a result, many parents opt to take care of their children at home, hiring behavioral consultant after behavioral consultant in the hopes that they can manage. Raising a child with autism is very hard work, and at times it can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. Perhaps the most daunting task is figuring out what to do when it is time to sleep.

Many children with autism have unusual sleep patterns that manifest themselves in many different ways. In fact, most research shows that between 40–80% of children with autism have trouble sleeping—they have problems going to sleep, they have problems staying asleep, or they don’t sleep long enough to be considered well rested (about 10 hours per night).

There can be no premium on knowing that your child with autism, prone to wandering throughout the house at night, is safe. It is crucial, as a parent that you have enough sleep in order to make it through the next day. Without the proper amount of sleep, you will not be able to keep up with your autistic child and the other demands of your life. Without sleep, you are setting yourself up for frustration and failure. Yet, if your autistic child routinely wakes up throughout the night, how is it possible to get the sleep you need?

You must sleep, and your child with autism must be safe. How can both be achieved? Some experts suggest locking the bedroom door at night or getting a $10,000 hospital bed with restraints. Perhaps this was a viable option 40 years ago when my uncle was sent to a developmental center, but hardly one for today’s world. There are new and welcoming designs for beds on the market—like Noah’s Bed—that seek to comfort both the autistic child and his or her parents.

The impetus behind Noah’s Bed (and others) is to provide the child with a safe, comfortable place to sleep where he or she can feel protected. At the same time, these beds give parents a peace of mind knowing that their autistic child will be safe regardless what time he or she goes to sleep.

Getting Good Night’s Sleep with Autistic Children

It’s 2 a.m.; do you know where your child is? For many parents of children with autism, the answer could very well be, “No.” As more and more funding comes from the federal government and private donors to research autism, leaders in the field are figuring out what many parents already know: frequently, children who are diagnosed with autism are unable to sleep.

Whether it’s because your child cannot go to sleep or because he or she wakes up intermittently throughout the night, your child is just not going to sleep… and as a result, neither are you. Both of you are well under the time required to have what is considered a good night sleep (approximately 10 hours for your child, and just about 8 hours for you). You’re practically worn down to a nub while your child is just as hyper as he or she was the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that, etc.

Of course, as you already know, because your child isn’t sleeping as much as he should be, he is becoming depressed, irritable and angrier than ever, his hyperactivity is increasing, and it’s causing him to have some trouble in school. It feels like a daunting task to undo everything that had been done before. What is a parent or caregiver to do?

First and foremost, don’t give up! Human beings are given this amazing reserve of emotional strength that they some times don’t realize they have. Find it; tap into it. You can do it.

Secondly, find some respite even if it’s only for a night. Don’t think of it as pawning your problems off on someone else. It truly is every bit as important that you get your sleep as anyone else. Without a good night’s rest, you will be unprepared to meet demands of the next day, which include raising your autistic child.

Try to establish a nighttime ritual that will help to calm down your autistic child, rather than one that will stimulate him or her at the end of the day. Definitely avoid activities like watching TV, playing games, or using the computer as these can provide a significant amount of stimulus for your son or daughter. Think about calming activities such as taking a bath (especially if you are able to use the lavender bubble bath soap) or reading to your child.

There are a number of new studies that show how melatonin, given near bedtime, might help children with autism get to sleep and possibly sleep better. In one of the most recent studies, the time it took for a child on melatonin versus a child on a placebo to fall asleep was almost half that of the child with placebo. While there is still quite a bit of work to do on many other studies, the initial melatonin research is very promising.

Lastly, in an effort to keep a meandering child from hurting him- or herself in the dark of night, you might want to consider looking into a new bed. Not necessarily one of the $10,000 hospital-style beds with restraints, but a bed designed with the interests of the parent and autistic child in mind. Rather than worrying about your child getting up in the middle of the night, you can be rest assured that something like Noah’s Bed will hold your child safely. A unique, patented design allows for the parent to place their child on a soft mattress and cocoon him- or herself away. Meanwhile, parents—who are still concerned about an errant child—can finally stop yelling and screaming at each other long enough to realize they are finally going to get a good night’s sleep.