my 8 year-old autistic son is terrified of sleeping alone

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Do as I've done OP, give up.

For whatever it's worth...

My NT daughter struggled with this until 5th grade.

We threw a single size futon mat on the floor, and let her sleep there if the other room got too much. She was never allowed to get into bed with us once we started weaning her back into the bedroom. You can come in our room, but have to sleep on the futon.

She always started off in her room, and we increased the time she had to spend in her room before coming to ours.

Even at 13, she'll drag her blankets and stuff in if she has a bad nightmare.

I shared a bedroom with my sister until I moved out, so I never personally had to sleep alone as a little kid.

I didn't really have this problem as a kid, but maybe it's because when you go to sleep, it's kind of like your parents disappear, and you don't always know if they'll still be there in the morning.

My brother and I shared a tiny bedroom until we were almost teenagers. I wonder sometimes how I survived, because now the only living things I'll let into my bedroom if I can help it are my two cats. I treasure my privacy and it seems like everyone is trying to take it away.

I think this thread got necro'd, but for if there's anyone else in that situation..

I similarly was terrified of being alone, particularly to sleep. For me, there wasn't much to be done except wait for me to grow out of it. No encouragement, reward, punishment or distraction would affect it, because that couldn't outweigh my pure terror.

When I got too big to sleep in my Dad's bed, he let me sleep on the floor in his room, as long as I started in my room. He also would sit with me for god only knows how long until I got to sleep. I wonder if this is why, when I got older and could sleep alone, I had to perform a weird specific ritual to sleep at my Mum's but not my Dad's.

What I'm trying to say is that don't assume kids to be playing up. They might be doing their best and really not wanting to disturb you.

And don't assume that it's solveable rather than manageable. Might need to find a "next best" solution, and just live with it until the problem sorts itself out.

I can't sleep without a paci and stuffed animals. Also I wear protective briefs to bed as I can't always feel when I have to go so I don't wake up to pee

I'm 19 and not ashamed to admit these things