How To Help Your Special Child To Get Sound Sleep
Children who are suffering from autism are more likely to face sleep disorders than those who don’t. Having observed that between 40% and 80% of children with ASD have difficulty sleeping and doing daily activities. Talking about some biggest sleep problems among these children include:
1. Inconsistent sleep routines 2. Difficulty falling asleep 3. Poor sleep quality 4. Waking early and waking often
Why Special Children Face Difficulties in Sleeping?
According to the researchers, they don’t have an exact clue why autistic children have problems with sleep, but they have several theories. People are well aware of the fact that when they have to sleep at night, thanks to the normal cycles of light and dark and our body’s daily routine. There is no arguing with the fact that children with autism may fail to understand these cues as they also face difficulty in communicating as well.
Another reason children with autism may have trouble falling asleep could be an increased sensitivity to what’s happening outside or it could be due to unfamiliar touch or sound. While most kids continue to sleep soundly while their mother opens the bedroom door, a child with ASD might wake up suddenly and once they awake, it’s difficult for them to fall asleep.
How To Help Your Child Sleep Better?
Following are the tips that can help your child sleep better.
1. It is important for you to establish a nighttime routine. Try to give your child a bath, tell a story, and put him or her to bed at the same time every night.
2. Make sure you don’t give your child tea or coffee as they contain caffeine.
3. Shut down video games, television, and other stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime.
4. Help your child relax before bed. You can give a gentle back massage, or turning on soft music. This will relax your child and make them feel calm and composed.
5. Make sure you avoid heavy light coming into your bedroom. You can put heavy curtains on your child's windows, install thick carpeting and ensure that your door won’t make any creepy noises.
6. It is important for you to talk to a sleep psychologist about the therapy of bright-light. Exposing the child to bright light in the morning may help release melatonin and as a result, this will make them feel more awake during the day.