Autism, Anxiety and Sleep
Around 1 in 36 children are now diagnosed as Autistic. We know that neurodivergent children and children with additional needs often struggle with sleep for a variety of reasons.
Sleep is important for the whole family. It is needed for growth, consolidating memories and learning and for our physical and mental health. The behaviour of children when they are not getting enough sleep, is often worse than when they are.
Autism and anxiety often go hand in hand, so traditional sleep training methods rarely work. They have little or no impact and can sometimes make things worse.
Whatever challenge you are facing, whether it is lengthy battles at bedtime, frequent waking or something else, we have the specialist knowledge to help.
1:1 Specialist sleep package
The Hug and Snug 1:1 sleep package is specifically designed for autistic or anxious children. We spend time understanding your child’s specific traits and needs and look into their whole day, to create a plan that is unique to them.
We will make changes at your child’s pace, to help keep anxiety to a minimum and set your child up with long term good sleep habits.
What is included?
in depth assessment call
Bespoke sleep plan
120 minute phone or video call
Up to 3 weeks of phone and What’s App support
How does autism affect sleep in children?
Autistic children can often have trouble with bedtime and sleeping. Some reasons for this could include:
They find it difficult to settle or wind down.
They find it difficult to go to sleep
They have increased anxiety and are unable to relax
Their melatonin levels are lower
Their sensory needs may be upsetting or distracting
They are unable to communicate their feelings