With all the uncertainty and craziness that fills our days right now, it is more important than ever that we keep ourselves on a schedule as best we can. One schedule that can be the most difficult, but the most important to uphold is our sleep schedule. I do my best to understand the struggles that you all may face, especially right now. In working with families and children with differing abilities, I have discovered that a common difficulty expressed amongst parents is sleep (going to sleep, staying asleep, or promoting good sleep). These two sites provide a substantial amount of information that I wanted to share with you in hopes that you might find it helpful. The first article (Autism Speaks) is packed with tips on how to promote good "sleep hygiene" with your child and discusses how sleep, whether good or bad, can affect a child's behavior and overall health. Children with sensory problems, anxiety, or repetitive behaviors can be among the group that is most affected by sleep problems and this article is aimed at helping these children with their sleep. The second article I provided (Home Educator), speaks more relatively about infants and young toddlers; however, because it discussed Down Syndrome, Autism, and ADHD and the effects of each on sleep, I thought it would still be a good resource. The graphic from their site (below) describes the benefits of sleep, hazards of not getting enough quality sleep, and foods that could deplete or promote sleep, among some other very important things to know.
-Madison
