Behavioral approaches can make a big difference in improving sleep. These might include:

Changes to daytime habits, including getting lots of morning light and physical activity.

Shifts in evening habits, such as removing all screens (TV, computers, phones, etc.) and establishing calming bedtime routines.

Modifications to how a parent interacts with their child for those families who would like a child to fall asleep and stay asleep independently.

While behavioral approaches can be successful in helping a neurodiverse child sleep, they need to be tailored to the needs of the individual child and their family. It’s important to note that not all families want their children to sleep on their own. For instance, some cultures value a family bed, and in many families, children share a room with one or more siblings or other relatives.

Because there are so many factors that can cause disrupted sleep, addressing sleep problems cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach and should be done in partnership with parents.

Our team has developed a family-centered approach to address sleep problems in neurodiverse children. This involves brief behavioral sleep education, usually in an initial session lasting up to 90 minutes, and two 30-minute follow-up sessions. In this unique care model designed to increase access to sleep care for families, we train clinicians, including behavioral, speech and occupational therapists, to work with parents to put together a personalized plan.

After only four weeks using this approach, we found that children’s sleep patterns improved, as did their behaviors, and that parents reported feeling more competent in their parenting.

Melatonin is a natural substance that is produced in your brain when it becomes dark in the evening. It makes us drowsy and helps set your brain’s internal clock to promote sleep. Melatonin reduces anxiety and calms down an overaroused brain.

Melatonin is one of the most studied supplements for sleep, and carefully designed studies have shown that it is safe and effective, including large retrospective reviews, systematic reviews, and randomized clinical trials.

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