S-O-S Best of the Best, Edition 8: Sleep Issues & Bedtime and Special Needs Kids

[fbshare]Welcome to S-O-S Best of the Best (BoB), Edition 8. Many special needs children have sleep issues or require certain bedtime routines in order to fall asleep.

Over 20 bloggers have shared their personal experiences, provided sleep resources, and outlined tips for helping children, teens, and parents find sleep. This incredible group of bloggers have experience with many different invisible special needs, such as ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, and autism. There’s something for everyone!

Personal Experiences

Adrienne Ehlert Bashista presents Sleep. Please, sleep. posted at Easy to Love, but Hard to Raise. Adrienne states, “I KNOW FOR A FACT that those of us parenting Easy to Love children have MUCH BIGGER issues with sleep than other parents.” She shares her son’s sleep problems and writes about the sleep advice she received from family, friends, doctors, and on-line forums.
Alysia Butler presents Whatever Gets You Through the Night posted at Try Defying Gravity. Alysia remembers back 3 1/2 years when her then two-year old son participated in a sleep study. She continues with “His sleep issues aren’t just a problem for him.” and explains the impact his behavior has on the entire family.
Chi Yon Barbosa presents How I dodged this bullet: Sleep issues with my aspie posted at Parenting a Child with Aspergers Syndrome. Chi recounts how her son had minimal sleep issues. But as some issues developed, she remained consistent and insisted he return to his own room. Consistency has been an effective approach for her.
Floortime Lite Mama presents Sleep and Autism posted at Floortime Lite Mama. Floortime Lite Mama talks about how she and her husband ended up following their instincts on sleep issues relating to their son .They had planned to use the scheduling method for parenting, but found that what their child needed was attachment parenting instead.
Kelly Quinones Miller presents Things That Go Bump in the Night posted at Penny Williams’ a mom’s view of ADHD. Kelly describes her son’s sleep issues that may occur multiple times a week. Although it takes her an hour to comfort him, Kelly states, “I remember that his losing one hour of sleep is so much better than spending the entire night in a fury of destruction.”
Kim Wombles presents Sleepy…so very sleepy posted at Countering…. Kim has dealt with serious sleep issues as revealed by her statement, “We fought for more than a decade to help Bobby sleep on a relatively normal schedule.” Discover wat fixed her son’s sleep problems and find many suggestions for helping your child.
Lisa Quinones-Fontanez presents This Bed Ain’t Big Enough for 3 posted at Autism Wonderland. Prior to becoming a parent, Lisa had many ideas, “One of my ideas was: I would not let my child sleep in our bed.” Discover why Lisa has changed her belief on this idea and what her evenings often look like.
Patty presents Taking the train to Winkie-ville posted at Pancakes Gone Awry. Patty shares the sleep issues her children experienced. She discovered that the problems were related to sensory issues. Find out what helped her children.
Tammy Murphy presents Questing for sleep can mean running in circles at Tammy Time. Tammy recounts how she forgot to give her son his sleep medication and the implication of this memory slip. She states, “I slept in bits and pieces as I listened to his exuberance ripple through the night, dreading the day to come.“
Yuji Fukunaga presents Anxiety Over Sleep Issues posted at Hanabi Boy. Yuji discusses his son’s sleep issues and ponders if he should take a tough love approach or be a bit more tolerant. But after some testing, Yuji concludes, “Knowing that his anxiety and sleep problems are the result of a physical condition rather than simply an emotional issue, I’ve softened my stance about taking a tough love approach.“

Resources

D.S. Walker presents Autism Myths, Legends, and Mysteries of Sleep posted at Delightfully Different Life. D.S. states, “Too many parents of children on the spectrum experience judgement for their child’s sleep problems and are given poor advice as a result.” After discussing some of the bad advice, D.S. presents two resources: a study examining why those on the autism spectrum may have sleep issues and an article by the Mayo Clinic on teen sleep.
Martianne Stanger presents Sleep Interview with 5 1/2 Year-Old Luke Who Can’t Shut Off His Brain posted at Training Happy Hearts. Martianne’s post contains a bit of everything: a sleep interview with her son, a suggested CD for relaxation, and some bedtime tips. You can’t miss this post, if for nothing more than to look at the adorable picture of Martianne’s sleeping children!
Tiffani Lawton presents Excess Electronic Energy, A Sleep Culprit? posted at OUR Journey THRU Autism. Tiffani starts her article by asking, “Are you aware that electronic devices emit invisible electromagnetic radiation that can act as a stimulant to people who are sensitive?” Watch a video titled 8 Household Electronics that are Hurting You, presented by Dr. Deborah Greene, author of Endless Energy: The Essential Guide to Energy Health.
Tiffani Lawton presents Is Your Child Missing Sleep? posted at OUR Journey THRU Autism. Tiffani reviews Mary Sheedy Kurcinka’s book, Sleepless in America: Is Your Child Misbehaving…or Missing Sleep?. She states, “Sleepless in America sounds the wake-up alarm for the parents of all the “tired and wired” children in America.”

Tips for Children

Adrienne Urban presents Help! I Can’t Get to Sleep! posted at Whole.New.Mom. Adrienne starts out saying, “What should be a pretty simple concept of putting a child to bed can become an ongoing series of night upon night of stress and anxiety that makes bedtime a source of nothing that resembles rest at all.” She presents possible causes of sleep problems with some solutions.
Chynna Laird presents Calming Your Child’s ‘Sensational’ Brain for Sleep posted at Tiffani Lawton’s OUR Journey THRU Autism. Chynna talks about how her daughter can usually fall asleep, but her problem is that she can not stay asleep. Chynna continues and says it takes a “combination of three things” to help her daughter remain asleep. Find out Chynna’s three tips.
Chynna Laird presents Parents Eyes: Sleep Suggestions for Your ‘Sensational Kids’ posted at The Gift. Chynna presents a wonderful list of things that may help a child with sensory issues and anxiety sleep better. But she admits that “What I’ve learned is that getting ready for sleep is an all-day process.“
Darlene Wierski-Devoe presents Bedtime Panic turns to Peace posted at The Raising Socially Anxious Children Blog. Darlene shares a number of tips that you may not have thought of for helping children get to sleep. She states, “…there isn’t just one thing because each day, each experience, each new challenge and victory need to pull from different resources. Being well prepared is the key ingredient.“
Gavin Bollard presents Overcoming Sleep Issues posted at Life with Aspergers. Gavin explains why individuals with autism and Asperger’s may experience sleep issues. He then discusses things that can compound sleep issues, such as stress, medications, and food. Gavin concludes with some tips to help alleviate sleep problems.
Nancy Konigsberg presents ADHD or Sleep Disorder? Can You Tell the Difference? posted at Milestone Mom. Nancy states, “It is often very hard to discern whether the sleep problems are related to a disorder such as ADHD or if they are a consequence of developmental issues, or if they are perpetuated by well intentioned but ill-advised bedtime routines.” She provides some solid tips to help your child sleep.
TheFowler4Group presents The Solution to Autism and Sleep posted at Look at My Eyes. TheFowler4Group states, “I think we’ve tried just about everything we can think of to get our son to sleep…and sleep well throughout the night.” Their son may sleep well for months and then without warning, sleepless nights begin. Five points developed from this family’s experience with sleep issues. Find out what they are.
Tiffani Lawton presents Considering Natural Botanicals for Sleep? posted at OUR Journey THRU Autism. Tiffani starts right off with, “Sleep Deprivation is a monumental issue for many families living with autism spectrum disorder.” She addresses narcotic based sleep aids and then presents information on natural botanicals. Tiffani includes insight from three different professionals.
Trish Doerrler presents Lessons Learned at Bedtime posted at In So Many Words. Trish provides her tips for promoting a good bedtime routine for your child. She makes an excellent point and recommends that you “look for any physical issues first” prior to assuming that the issue is all behavior-based.

Tips for Parents

Caroline McGraw presents The Ultimate Guide to Streamlining Daily Routines posted at A wish come clear. Caroline creates a guide to daily life routines drawing from her 1,575 hours of experience as a live-in direct care assistant with people with intellectual disabilities. She has some wonderful suggestions that may help parents of special needs kids take better care of themselves.

Tips for Teens

Lorna d’Entremont presents Teens Sleep Problems Helped by Lifestyle Changes posted at Kid Companions. “Most teens, and especially special needs teens, suffer from inadequate sleep and the consequences can be serious to their health, to their education, to their safety, and to their social life.” Lorna provides tips for parents on how to help their sleep deprived teens.

Thank you to all these fabulous bloggers who continue to find time in their hectic schedules to compose such thoughtful posts. We are eight months into the Best of the Best and still going strong. YOU are what makes Best of the Best!

Previous BoB Posts

Anxiety and Stress (Edition 6)

Autism and Treatment Options (Edition 1)

Book Reviews (Edition 5)

Family Life (Edition 4)

Media (Edition 7)

School Issues (Edition 3)

Social & Play Skills (Edition 2)

Note, this month’s BoB edition button was provided by Gavin Bollard. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Please note, the opinions expressed in each referenced post in S-O-S Best of the Best are entirely that of its author and the inclusion of these posts does not constitute an endorsement by S-O-S Research.