14 Feb Parenting Young Children with Autism: Tips for a Calmer Child, Family, & Home. Bedtime Routines
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For a child with autism, getting a good night’s sleep might be challenging. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is vital for the wellbeing of both the parents and child.
BCBA Dr. Billie Harber teaches us good practices for getting children with autism to bed with minimal challenges.
What We Learned from this Video:
- Relaxing before bedtime is not just important for your children, but for you as well. It is easier to sleep well if you’ve had time to unwind after a long day.
- After dinner, have your child participate in some calming activities such as reading or listening to music.
- If there are any difficult or stressful activities or tasks to do, have your child do them earlier in the evening.
- Turn down the lights about an hour before bedtime to let them know that bedtime is near.
- The light emitted from screens such as TVs and computers can interfere with sleep.
- Setting and keeping to a routine helps prepare your child for bed as their body gets conditioned to go to sleep after this routine.
- Again, remember to start with the harder or more energizing tasks first so that they don’t keep your child awake right before bed.
- A visual schedule can help your child know what to expect every night.
In order to achieve a good night’s sleep, be sure you have a set evening routine stretching from after dinner all the way up until bedtime. To discover more calming activities that may be helpful before bedtime, take a look through our videos on self-care.