Bedtime Tips For Children With Autism
Children with autism can have difficulty falling and staying asleep, and this can take a toll on the child, as well as their caregivers.
I wanted to compile some tips that are an absolute must in our household and these tips can be useful for all parents.
Tips/Recommendations:
1. We stick to a consistent routine and bedtime - This is a non-negotiable.
2. We don't really give the boys sugar as it adversely effects their behaviour and mood, but we especially avoid it at dinner time.
3. We give the boys an opportunity to engage in some sensory play after dinner, which helps them regulate and ground themselves before their bath. Examples include: Scented playdough play, kinetic sand play, jumping on a trampoline, rolling on a therapy ball, etc...
4. We incorporate sensory play in the bath - This can be a bubble bath with essential oils (lavender is especially calming), or a bath with glow sticks and dim lights.
5. We don't allow any screen time after dinner as it can be stimulating and adversely affect their ability to fall asleep.
6. The boys have white noise machines in their rooms, which helps calm their thoughts.
7. The boys have calming sensory lights in their rooms (the lights don't flash or move, so they're not stimulating).
8. The boys sleep with weighted blankets, which helps with anxiety, and I truly believe it helps them stay asleep once they fall asleep.
9. The boys have mesh tents in their rooms over their beds, which helps them feel more cozy and enclosed.
10. Leo particularly requires deep pressure and always asks us to pile his larger stuffed animals on top of his weighted blanket.
11. We recently added grow clocks to the boys’ bedrooms to help them stay in their beds and sleep at appropriate times.
12. We read age appropriate books before bed together and take a few minutes to journal together. We use My Daily Journal Of All My Emotions, an activity book I published to help them process their emotions.
13. Be kind to yourself - As parents, we are juggling a lot and life happens and there will be good days and bad days. Just remember, you are doing your best and that’s good enough.
I hope you find these tips helpful.
Lots of love,
Natalie Abkarian Cimini
“Children may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel.” - Carl W. Buechner
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Leo and Lorenzo’s bedrooms
Relaxing sensory bedroom with star projecting night light
