Half-term with an autistic child: keeping sleep and routine steady

In most of England, half-term runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Check your school's dates, because some councils differ. The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October, the day before half-term starts. Many autistic children find a week off school hard. The usual day is gone, and sleep often goes with it.

What the guidance says

The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guideline on autism in children and young people, CG170, covers sleep problems. It says to start by asking about the problem: what type it is, the pattern by day and night, whether bedtime is regular, and the sleep environment. It then advises a sleep plan made with the parents, usually a behavioural plan that sets a regular night-time pattern. It also advises keeping a record of sleep and waking over 2 weeks, and reviewing the plan.

The American Academy of Neurology guideline on sleep in autism (2020) agrees that behavioural measures come first.

A trial called Sleeping Sound followed 245 autistic children aged 5 to 13. The children whose families had a structured behavioural sleep programme slept better at 3, 6 and 12 months. That was a full programme, not a holiday routine. No trial has tested whether keeping a routine over half-term prevents sleep problems.

What I suggest in clinic

This part is my practice, not trial evidence.

Keep the bedtime and the wake-up time close to a school day. An hour either way is usually manageable.
Keep meals at their usual times.
Plan each day ahead and tell your child the plan the evening before. A written or picture plan helps some children.
Put one fixed activity in each morning and each afternoon. Leave the gaps free.
Allow quiet time after anything busy or noisy.
Tell your child on the Saturday that the clocks go back, and what that means for bedtime.

Melatonin and supplements

NICE says melatonin is for children whose sleep problems continue despite a sleep plan and are harming the child or the family. It should be started only on the advice of a specialist paediatrician or psychiatrist, alongside non-drug measures, and reviewed regularly. NICE advises against omega-3 for sleep. Please do not start melatonin over half-term without that advice.

When to ask for help

If sleep problems carry on after half-term, tell your GP (general practitioner), paediatrician or school nurse. NICE says to consider referral to a paediatric sleep specialist, and short breaks for the family, when problems persist.

Take-home

Check your school's half-term dates.
Keep bedtime, wake-up time and meals close to a school day.
Plan each day, and tell your child the evening before.
Melatonin and supplements need specialist advice.
If sleep stays poor, ask for help.

References

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management (CG170). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg170/chapter/recommendations
Pattison E, et al. Randomised controlled trial of a behavioural sleep intervention, 'Sleeping Sound', for autistic children: 12-month outcomes and moderators of treatment. J Autism Dev Disord 2024;54(2):442-457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05809-3 (open access: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9684935/)
Williams Buckley A, et al. Practice guideline: treatment for insomnia and disrupted sleep behavior in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Neurology 2020;94(9):392-404. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000009033 (reaffirmed 2026). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7238942/