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.

You close your eyes for what seems like only a minute. Again, you wake up to the tromping of your son’s feet echoing down the halls. It’s your turn this time. You roll over and look at the clock: 3:38 a.m. You force yourself out of bed and go to retrieve your son; frustrated over your lack of sleep, you place your son back into bed. It’s 5:17 a.m. and this time your child is up for good. Less than six hours of sleep…again.

This almost wouldn’t be so bad if your son where 2 months instead of two years old. You’d expect it to happen, because that’s what babies do. But now, two years later, your child has been diagnosed as being “at risk” for having autism spectrum disorder. Every night, it’s the same fight to get your autistic son to go to sleep. You begin the ritual at 7:30 p.m. and he finally falls asleep sometime between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Like many parents with autistic children, you are at your wits’ end. You do not know what to do or where to turn. You have seen a number of occupational therapists who have tried multiple techniques to get your son to sleep earlier or to sleep longer, and yet nothing has worked. This is fairly common.

Almost all research on autism in children shows that upward of 80 percent suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. These travails can be loosely placed into one of three categories: not sleeping long enough, having problems going to sleep, and waking throughout the middle of the night. As many parents of autistic children know, being sleep deprived is a significant stress on their own lives that not only affect the parents’ well-being but also affect the parents’ ability to manage difficult behaviors in their autistic children.

Current research is promising, however. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland that helps to regulate sleep patterns, has shown that it might help. Recently, a small study showed that use of melatonin helped to decrease the time it takes for an autistic child to fall asleep. In addition, indicators show the herbal supplement also aided in helping children sleep longer.

Still, despite the initial studies, there is quite a bit more research needed in order to call the use of melatonin a success. Also, considering that melatonin doesn’t put a child to sleep in the same way a traditional sleeping pill does, parents who have children who periodically get up throughout the nigh should explore alternatives that can aid in keeping their child safe should he or she wake up throughout the night.

There are a number of different beds that seek to ease may help with getting autistic children to sleep, including Noah’s Bed, created by the parents of an autistic child and their carpenter neighbor. The bed helps create a safe surrounding for the child while allowing the parents the comfort of knowing their child will kept safe while they sleep and get needed rest.