Getting a good night’s rest is vital for neurodiverse children – pediatric sleep experts explain why

Beth Ann Malow, Vanderbilt University; Susan Nehiley Brasher, Emory University, and Terry Katz, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, The Conversation on Apr 19, 2024

Published in Health & Fitness

Minimize naps longer than one hour, or after 4 p.m. for school-age children. Naps can interfere with going to sleep at night.

Avoid caffeine, including many types of soda, tea and chocolate.

Turn off all screens and smartphones at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

In the evening leading up to bedtime, turn down all lights in the house. Consider using red night lights, if possible. Set any devices to night mode in the evening to limit exposure to blue light.

Create wind-down time in place of screens. Have your child identify an activity they enjoy that is calming and soothing, such as reading a book, coloring or listening to music. If a bath is stimulating, move it to earlier in the evening, such as after dinner.

Help your child learn to fall asleep without needing you or their devices to be there with them. That way, they will settle down on their own at bedtime. And when they wake up throughout the night, since we all wake up in the night, they will be able to go right back to sleep without becoming fully awake.

For more tips, see Autism Speaks for free downloads of brochures and visual aids.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

Beth Ann Malow consults for Neurim Pharmaceuticals which makes a prolonged release melatonin product. She also receives funding from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Susan Nehiley Brasher received funding from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Terry Katz consults for Scioto Biosciences, which works on live bacterial therapeutics and microbiotics for children and adults with autism and GI disorders. She has received funding from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Autism Speaks for research on sleep in children with ASD.