Go To Sleep! But How?

Coach Tommy and I had a discussion about sleep after one of our teen families disclosed sleep issues in their child.

First, sleep issues in autistic and other neurodivergent people are quite common, especially during the teen years. Combine the neurotype with the unprecedented amount of stress that we are all under — and you can understand how a good night's sleep is negatively impacted!

Routine-based interventions are key! Think back to the time when you/your child were/was little…and how there was an established bedtime, and an established bedtime routine. As we get older, we still need a bedtime routine to help us get ready to sleep!

Basic recommendations include:

1) No electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime (an excellent opportunity to read a book); the blue light from screens inhibits our melatonin production and impairs our brain's ability to "turn off."

2) A warm bath before bed.

3) Decaffeinated tea (I like Sleepytime or Nighty Night with Passionflower).

4) Warm milk with honey (whole milk has L-tryptophan, a known sedative — honey is also a sedative)

5) Turn off your wifi router at night — this REALLY helps! Nobody needs to be using the internet between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am.

6) Mindfulness meditation on the breath — like we practice in class!

Here are some more resources that may help:

The Sleep With Me podcast: This podcast tells long, a little funny but also boring bedtime stories! They have 2 free episodes each week, released Sunday and Thursday.

Netflix Headspace: This interactive show on Netflix (by the creators of the Headspace app) is great to watch before you start your bedtime routine.

If your family has any other recommendations, feel free to reply all and share them with our community!

Sweet dreams,

Coach Mara