World Autism Awareness Day: Will sleep deprivation cause the disorder?

Sleep plays an important role in brain development and overall health in children. A proper sleep schedule would ensure that your child is energetic and active. Meanwhile, sleep deprivation might lead to lots of health problems, including slowed brain development. A study regarding this was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a while ago. The study explains how sleep deprivation or a lack of enough sleep would adversely affect brain development and growth in children. Moreover, the research study focuses on the importance of following proper sleep habits for ensuring physical and mental health.

Professor Graham Diering of North Carolina University studied the impact of sleep on brain development in children and adults. Sleep can only repair the body in adults, while in children, it can produce and strengthen the nervous communications required for good memory and learning skills. Meanwhile, the study was conducted in small yet older mice. It was observed that sleep deprivation mostly affects younger mice than older ones.

Children's brains cannot recover from problems caused by a lack of proper sleep. Compared to adults, children exhibit the disadvantages of sleep deprivation for longer periods. Getting enough sleep is essential for brain development at a young age. The ability to fall asleep at the proper time and get uninterrupted sleep strengthens synaptic connections, which is important for intellectual activities and memory power.

The study also states that sleep deprivation in children could lead to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was observed that lack of sleep was not only connected to slowed brain development and poor memory but also affects certain proteins in the brain that is connected to the genetic factors that lead to autism. Sleep deprivation or lack of proper sleep will increase the chance of autism in children who are likely to have genetic factors that could lead to autism.

Sleep plays a key role in ensuring health and well-being throughout one’s life. Lack of proper sleep during childhood will adversely affect the proper growth and development of the brain. Professor Graham Diering notes that changes that happen in the brain during childhood are likely to be permanent and may not be reversed.

How to put fussy sleepers to bed?
If a good night’s sleep is still a challenge for your three to five-year-old child, here are a few tips from the Mayo Clinic which can be helpful:
1) Create a calming sleep time routine, such as a bath, a story reading session, a talk about the day, or some bedtime music.
2) Keep all devices away.
3) Activities like running and other activities can boost children’s energy; therefore, put off playtime around bedtime.
4) Use techniques like ‘bedtime fading,’ which means you put your child to sleep a bit later than their fixed bedtime on the first day. But over the course of a few weeks, slowly advance the time. Regardless, wake the child up at the usual time throughout the process.
5) If problems persist, consult a child care expert for solutions.