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Many autistic children have trouble sleeping. One of the reasons for this is low melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone excreted by the pineal gland. Many parents have found melatonin helpful in getting children to sleep. The Autism Research Institute’s “Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions” found that of the 1105 parents reporting there were 65% reporting improvement, 8% got worse and 27% reported no effect with a 7.8:1 ratio of got better to got worse. That is an excellent response.
Melatonin in general has not been a good agent for sleep; the exception is in autistic children. Melatonin is a hormone and it is not dosed, nor does it behave like a typical medication.
Melatonin is best dosed in the early evening, not at bedtime. Melatonin also changes its behavior with dose. Melatonin has a cyclic behavior. At one dose it may help induce sleep and at another dose it can be excitatory. If the current dose does not work, try changing the dose either way. Typical dosages for melatonin would be 1.5mg to 3.0mg in children with autism.
Other tips include having a bedtime routine, which should start awhile before actually going to bed. Autistic children need routines and generally do not tolerate abrupt changes, such as watching TV and then going straight to bed. They need a transition from their everyday activities to bedtime.
Epsom salts bathes can be soothing and improve detoxification.
Eliminate television well before bed time.
A bedtime story is often helpful as children anticipate the story and associate it with going to bed.
Melatonin, GABA, and taurine are best given together. They are mutually supportive compounds, which can help get autistic children sleeping better.
Keep the bedroom dark and especially eliminate bright lights. Blue light inhibits melatonin production the most, so if you must have a nightlight, use a red one if possible.
Calming herbals and supplements:
1. Nighty Night
2. Melatonin
3. GABA
4. Priority Calm
5. Taurine
Radio frequency wireless devices, while not directly interfering with sleep, can interfere with the autonomic nervous system and melatonin in autistic children, and should be removed from the bedroom or turned off at night, if possible.
These devices include: wireless baby monitors, wireless internet routers, and wireless phones, especially the base units.
In summary autistic children often can improve their sleep patterns by:
If these measures are ineffective, start looking for stimulants in the diet and environment, which may be causing excitation. Food additives such as red dye #5 are often a problem, which can cause excessive excitation in the nervous system.
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Treatment Protocols