Simple bedtime tips every autism parent should know to help create a calming sleep routine, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep quality for children with autism.
When it comes to putting children with autism to sleep, there is no other time in the day that requires such high levels of patience and understanding from both parents and children. Such difficulty while trying to sleep is not surprising for many kids on the autistic spectrum are not able to quickly fall asleep, remain asleep, or quiet down at night. Many factors such as sensory issues, stress, and changes in the child’s schedule contribute to complicating the sleeping process. It is, however, possible to improve sleep with a few handy tips and bedtime practices.
One of the most effective ways to address this problem is by adhering to a specific regular bedtime routine. Developing expectations is of great interest to a child with autism, for as for many other children they are mainly afraid of the unknown. So, it is important to try to follow the same night-time procedures throughout the week, e.g. taking a bath, cleaning teeth, changing clothes to bed suit, wound up in a story book, and finally has to sleep. Practicing the same pattern day in day out, also helps the child get a sense of security and prepares him / her to go to bed.
The utility of pictures which is more appealing to memory in some children than sound in explaining usually cannot be overstressed. Succeeding will just involve building short lists of activities that must be done before retiring such as; preparing for bed. This, in most cases minimizes anxiety and also assists the child in recalling what is supposed to be done thereafter.
As the child sleeps a lot also consider the room where the child sleeps. Some children are uncomfortable with different elements of their environment like the noise, light, cold, hot hence measures may be taken to minimize these challenges. The child’s bedroom should be silent, dark, and cozy. If the child is bothered by commotion outside, blackout curtains, cozy sheets, or a white noise generator may come in handy.
Yet some children may enjoy this, especially during ‘screen time’ before bed. Laptops, tablets, smartphones, television sets The amount of mental agitation which may have occurred therefore inhibits the process of falling asleep. It would be recommended to allow the child to switch off such devices at least one hour before they go to bed and make them engage in less involving activities such as creating arts and crafts or reading books or even listening to a quiet song.
Moving around during the day can help out in the night’s slumber as well. Ask for the child to involve themselves in outdoor play, leisurely walking, or any other activities that do not force them. Doing so will help to be active and unnecessary tension before sleeping will be relieved. Still, deep fatigue and energy degeneration before sleeping is undesirable.
Think about what is eaten in the evening. Too much sugar, coffee and other stimulating substances, as well as large meals right before bed, make it difficult to sleep. Serve samples of snacks, or better yet, fruits or vegetables along with a glass of water.
There are some children with autism who feel uneasy during the night . If the child does not want to go to bed out of fear, calmly comfort them. If they are used to sleeping with a particular familiar object, allow them to do so. Professionals normally say for some children that a heavy bedcover is appropriate; this should help them comfortable and feel safe.
It is also useful to practice patience. Changes in sleep patterns do not come about easily. If the child is uncooperative about going to bed, do not respond in anger and avoid making it an issue. In this respect, cooperation is usually the best strategy rather than threats or feeling irritated.
Track sleep patterns of your kid too. This can be done with the help of a simple notebook – record what happens, what food they ate, what they were doing or what activities or events took place before going to bed. This data also may prove to be helpful if a decision is made to seek medical assistance.
And last, but not the least, always think about yourself. Raising an autistic child can take a lot out of you, especially when you are plagued sleepless nights. Please ask for help and tell yourself that it is ok to have some rest.
Autism is a spectrum disorder and every autistic child is different, what may effectively work for one child may not work for another. Day by day with a little bit of calmness and positive adjustment, bedtime may quite naturally become more comfortable for you and your child.
