Dos and Don’ts of Daylight Savings for Special Needs Kids
For most parents (and sleep coaches), there’s a lot of dread around the one hour difference. It’ll mean earlier mornings, more bedtime protest, interrupted sleep…for a week or so. But for the special needs parent, it might mean weeks or a few months for things to reset…only to have another time change happen. Whether it’s […]
6 Tips for Using a Sleep Training Clock
The sleep training clock is a tool that my team uses often when sleep training kids with special needs. When used correctly, a sleep training clock can be a very effective way to combat early mornings, and teach your child when it’s okay to start the day. However, before you rush out and buy a […]
Sleep Train or Potty Train?
When speaking to special needs families, this question of what to start with comes up a lot. “We’ve just gotten a potty training plan from our BCBA.” “We’re set to toilet train in a couple weeks. Should we wait to start a plan?” It is important to give your child to opportunity for independence with […]
Yes, Your Child Can Sleep on their Own
Day in and day out, I speak with special needs families about their child’s sleep struggles. These kids can’t fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, will be up for hours at night, wake super early in the morning, go more than 24 hours without sleep…and more. Often, parents are told that there’s nothing they can do […]
The Best Time to Sleep Train Your Child with Special Needs
As you very well know, life can throw a lot of curve balls. When you have kids, it’s an endless ebb and flow of school, therapy sessions, camps, classes, extra curricular activities, and more! And, sometimes life throws a global pandemic in the mix which throws everyone into a loop. Thanks, life. I think there […]
Sleep Struggles: Your Child with Trisomy 21
Many children with special needs have difficult sleeping well through the night. For a child with Trisomy 21, it is not uncommon for them to deal with a number of issues nightly: Difficulty falling asleep (takes a long time) Restlessness, lots of tossing and turning Wakes up frequently at night Needs help falling asleep Light […]
Sleep and Your Child with Special Needs
For many children with special needs, sleep is especially hard to get for a variety of reasons: Seizures Constipation Muscle tone issues Sensory processing issues…and more. The problem many parents face is that there are plenty of recommendations for neurotypical children. However, there’s very little information out there for children with developmental disabilities. You are […]
5 Tips to a Smoother Bedtime for ALL Ages
When it comes to sleep training kids, there are so many recommendations out there that it can be hard to know where to start. And, these recommendations can change based on a child’s age, health, milestones reached, etc. However, there are some basic recommendations that can help any child fall asleep easier. These recommendations can […]
