SLEEP DIFFICULTIES, BEDTIME AND RESTFUL NIGHTS
ADHD Parent Support Series - Part 20
A child who cannot sleep is not necessarily a child who will not sleep.
Sleep difficulties can look like refusing bedtime, lying awake for hours, needing repeated reassurance, waking throughout the night, being extremely restless or finding mornings almost impossible.
This detailed parent guide looks beyond bedtime behaviour.
It explores busy thoughts, anxiety, sensory discomfort, difficulty stopping activities, night waking, delayed sleep patterns, physical restlessness, snoring and breathing concerns, medication considerations, screens and the impact of poor-quality sleep on the following day.
The resource helps parents distinguish between bedtime routines and wider sleep difficulties that may need individual professional assessment.
It also looks at why sleep support needs to begin before a child gets into bed, how to make the transition towards rest more predictable and why the best bedtime routine is usually a short, sustainable one rather than an elaborate programme.
There is a practical framework covering daytime foundations, transition cues, sensory comfort, thought parking, night-time responses and morning observations.
Parents also receive a detailed Sleep Pattern and Support Plan that can be used over one to two weeks to record sleep timing, waking, physical symptoms, medication changes, morning functioning and what has or has not helped.
Importantly, the guide identifies signs that should be discussed with a health professional, including persistent snoring or breathing concerns, marked daytime sleepiness, physical discomfort, unusual movements and significant changes after medication.
The aim is not to promise perfect sleep.
It is to help families understand the pattern, reduce unnecessary bedtime conflict, support better rest and recognise when a child's sleep needs a closer clinical look.
Space to Breathe Therapy
ADHD Parent Support Series - Part 20
