One of the most difficult things I have faced with children on the spectrum is sleep. No, I’m not up all night worrying.

But one of them is… well sort of. You see, I’ve come to understand that some kids on the spectrum can’t sleep for long periods of time, due to the way their brains are stimulated.

And Lyra is one of them. She will sleep only about 6 hours on average. That means many times a week, she is up at 2 or 3 am, ready to go. She’s not miserable or grumpy. She wants to play.  And unfortunately, she is also looking for a playmate so it ends up being me or my husband.

I know what you’re thinking… just put her to bed until she gets it.

Ever wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep because your mind is racing? That’s what is happening to her.

And since she is only six, I can’t really leave her on her own in the house. (Just the other day, she was in the kitchen alone and broke a glass… that’s another blog post in the making.)

And of course, I’ve tried it all the advice:

• dark room
• cool room
• bedtime routine
• no caffeine

I’ve even given her melatonin, which works like a charm getting her to sleep (which was also a problem for a while), but keeping her asleep is another issue entirely.

She seems no worse for wear, however studies have proven kids with ASD and sleep issues tend to be less social and less verbal. And that is Lyra to a ‘T’.

And it affects more than her.  I am perpetually exhausted. I’ve always been a gal who needed at least 9 hours sleep to function properly. Always. So now it affects my work; it affects my relationship with my kids and husband; it just about affects everything.

And here is the sad part, I go to sleep at 8 PM with my kids, so I can at least get 6 hours of sleep, if I am lucky. That’s just not right.

So I am reaching out to see if anyone has a solution. We’ve talked to our pediatrician, and even tried to find additional help elsewhere. But it seems its a common problem for those affected by Autism without a solution.