28/01/2026
If you need help with sleep, reach out to book in for OT sessions.
What is the link between ADHD, ASD and sleep?
Well this is an interesting topic, because as anyone who has a child with one of these diagnosis' knows, the question "does your child sleep poorly" is one of the diagnostic questions used in these assessments.
But then...... Nothing.
You're just expected to deal with the poor sleep as a byproduct.
Often times they're referred to Allied Health or NDIS and are given generalised advice around routines or sensory equipment i.e. weighted blankets.
But is the link bigger than this?
Well, children with ASD have been shown to actually produce significantly less melatonin when compared to the neurotypical population. So often times they need to take supplements to assist with this biological process of falling asleep - as melatonin is key in this. They are also generally more likely to have a sleep quality issue which is making sleep even harder than it has to be.
Whilst children with ADHD have an extremely high crossover with poor sleep quality, with many people starting to question how many kids are actually misdiagnosed with ADHD, when they actually have poor sleep quality.
You see, poor sleep quality leads to:
- hyperactivity
- poor sensory regulation
- difficulty concentrating
- poor emotional regulation
.... sound familiar?
To get my Free 5 Top Sleep Tips, message me and I'll send it through!
