Good Night & Good Luck…Sleep
Lighthouse meets every other Wednesday evening from 8:30-9:30 pm (CST). If you haven’t joined us before, we invite you to come and sit awhile with this beautiful group of parents. As a community, we gather to celebrate the highs and support each other through the challenges. This is a conversation with other parents who understand what you are experiencing. Grab your favorite beverage join us. This is a program for parents with students attending Islands of Brilliance programming. Register here.
Good morning! At least I hope it was a good morning. How are you feeling? Rested and ready? Or exhausted and needing more sleep? Last night we spent the majority of the conversation focused on sleep, or more specifically…a lack of it!
Dear sleep, I’m sorry we broke up this morning…I want you back.
We all know the importance of a good night’s rest. Yet many of our kids have trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night. Some of us also shared our own struggles with insomnia. Lack of sleep has a huge effect on our days.
Not getting a good night's sleep can have a serious impact on a child's life and overall health. Research has shown that, in children with autism, there is a connection between lack of sleep and the following characteristics:
Aggression
Depression
Hyperactivity
Increased behavioral problems
Irritability
Poor learning and cognitive performance
If your child isn't sleeping, there's a good chance you aren't, either. One study showed that the parents of children with autism sleep less, have poorer sleep quality, and wake up earlier than parents of children without autism. (Source: WebMD, Helping Your Child With Autism Get A Good Night’s Sleep)
While this is a common challenge for many of us, it is especially challenging for our kids! Here are a few strategies shared last night for helping our kids fall asleep, and stay asleep:
Establish a basic, ordered routine for the evening, which can be followed anywhere.
Limit exposure to blue lights (from TVs, tablets, smartphones, etc.) for at least an hour before bedtime.
Some of our kids wake up in the middle of the night hungry. A protein shake as a part of the nightly routine could help.
Adjust the environment of the bedroom. Is it too warm or too cold? Is there too much light? Does something in the room make noise that can cause sensory issues, waking up your child?
Weighted blankets
Calming music or nature sounds can be played through the night. Allowing your child to wear headphones might also help block out environmental noises.
Try using a diffuser with essential oils that are soothing and calming. Chamomile, lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, cedarwood, citrus, bergamot, and vanilla are a few. These oils can be used individually or in combination. People respond to different oils differently.
Regular exercise helps release energy and tires us out. Yoga and walking are great ways to work in a regular routine.
Some of us are night owls, while some of us are early birds. Shifting the daily schedule to your child’s natural patterns can help them sleep through the night.
The bed is for sleeping! If your child can’t fall back asleep, consider allowing them to get up for a bit and do a quiet activity like journaling, drawing, or reading.
I want to sleep but my brain won’t stop talking to itself.
Often when we have trouble sleeping, it is because we can “shut off our brain.” Thoughts spin over and over again, as we toss and turn trying to quiet our minds. When this happens, I try to engage in a few mindfulness exercises.
Listen to the noise. As the thoughts are flowing, what keeps coming up? I often will start journaling in a stream of consciousness listening to the passing thoughts. Looking at the recurring “noise” I can identify the aspects of my life that need attention. Is there something I am anxious about? Am I ignoring or putting off something important? Are there relationships that need some extra care? Sometimes writing down the thoughts is enough, and sometimes I find I’ve created a list of things I need to take action on in the upcoming days.
Repeat a mantra. Sometimes we just need to break the cycle of thoughts with a new cycle! I will often lay in bed repeating the same thought over and over again until my mind is calmer. Two that I often use are, “I have enough. I am enough.” and “Compassion, Kindness, Love, Patience.”
Grounding mindfulness. Turn your thoughts to your present surroundings by using a grounding exercise (identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste). Take deep breaths throughout.
I hope that you and your family have a restful week! (We can hope, right?)
Peace and Love,
Matt and all of us at Islands of Brilliance
Banner Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
