Sleeeeeeeeeeep

Sleep is when our bodies and minds maintain, repair and prepare us for the next day. From the outside it doesn’t look like much is happening, and we don’t remember much about it, BUT! sleep is an active, highly structured process which is critical for mental and physical health. So, sleep problems are big problems.

For me, sleep is the difference between coping and not coping with the challenges of each day. For my son CJ (who has autism and epilepsy), it can take a long time for him to fall asleep, and then his sleep is interrupted by seizures, and the knock-on effect is that CJ’s sleep affects my sleep.

I’d love to be getting a solid eight hours of sleep a night. Wouldn’t we all? There’s oodles of information about good sleep hygiene for adults: consistent routines, a cool dark bedroom, putting the screens away, a bit of meditation, maybe a kiwi fruit / some turkey / a milky drink – all common sense stuff.

The elephant in the room is when sleep is affected by your child, so the usual self-care / sleep hygiene advice doesn’t apply. For many families it’s a phase and their child grows out of it, but for some families - especially families of children who have additional needs – the phase doesn’t have an end date.

Almost 2,000 years ago a slave called Publilius Syrus, wrote "There is poor sleeping with care for a bedfellow." As with all the best phrases, there’s a couple of different ways it can be interpreted, but the general gist is that you’re not going to sleep well if you’re worried, anxious, or caring for someone. And parents of children with additional needs are worried, anxious, and caring for someone pretty much all the time.

Why do some children with additional needs sleep badly? How long is a piece of string? Off the top of my head:

Melatonin: People with autism spectrum can have differences in melatonin production, which means their body clock is set to Random.

Environment: The sleep environment matters more than you might expect. Light, sound, or texture can interfere with sleep and contribute to sleep problems.

Sensitivity: The infinite “On” switch. People with autism find it hard to switch off. 

Structure of sleep: As research into autism powers on, it’s been noted that people with autism have atypical sleep structure, which includes more time in light sleep, and less time in REM

From tired to tactical – what do I have to accept, and what can I change?

• Be practical, talk directly to other parents and carers in similar situations, as 100% of your best information will come from them.

• Use social media as a library rather than a shop.

• Follow good quality resources such as the National Autistic Society, Unique and SENDMummies (instagram and TikTok).

Where a Safe Place Bed can help

For some families, a Safe Place Bed can help with sleep problems and give peace of mind.

If nocturnal adventuring is an issue, a Safe Place Bed will keep a child safe.

It’s an enclosed space. Anecdotally, many customers say their child loves an enclosed space and finds it easier to switch off (and go to sleep).

It’s a familiar space. If you go to granny’s for a night, or Gran Canaria for a week, the sleeping environment remains the same so there is less routine change to navigate.

Safe Place Bed