Calm Sleep for Autism
Calm Sleep Blog
Research-backed guides on autism, sensory sensitivity and sleep
Autism and Sleep: Why It's Different
Sleep problems affect 50–80% of autistic children — and unlike most children, they don't reliably fade with age. Six mechanisms tend to combine, and one of them means the usual "quiet, dark, boring" advice can be exactly backwards. What the research actually recommends first, and why this app is built for ages roughly 2 to 15 rather than for babies.
When White Noise Makes It Worse
In one clinical test, 9 of 21 autistic children without an intellectual disability would not tolerate white noise at all. The researchers' own warning was blunt: promoting only its benefits could lead to interventions that do harm. Here's what the study actually found, why pink noise is the gentler alternative, and how to test any sound safely — in daylight, not at bedtime.
Sound Sensitivity at Bedtime
About two-thirds of autistic children show auditory hypersensitivity, and it costs them sleep more than any other single effect. The counterintuitive part: the bigger reaction is often to quiet, sudden sounds — not loud, steady ones. Why "just play it softer" isn't sufficient advice, and what to do instead.
Predictability Beats Perfection
Two strands of research seem to contradict each other: repetition is calming, but the autistic brain doesn't always habituate to repeated sound the way researchers once assumed. The resolution isn't picking a side — it's separating the unchanging frame of a routine from the fully optional content inside it.
Looking for the research these guides are built on? Read the Science page or browse the full source list.
