SUPPORTING SLEEP AND BEDTIME ROUTINES
ADHD Parent Support Series - Part 15
Bedtime can be one of the hardest transitions in the day for a child with ADHD - and one of the hardest times for an exhausted parent to keep repeating instructions.
Some children struggle to stop an absorbing activity. Some become suddenly full of thoughts and worries when the house becomes quiet. Others are affected by sensory discomfort, anxiety, inconsistent sleep timing, medication effects or another sleep difficulty.
This parent guide looks beyond the instruction to 'just settle down'.
It explores winding down, transitions, visual bedtime routines, sensory comfort, connection, busy thoughts, screens, night waking, medication considerations and protecting the parent's own capacity.
It also includes a Bedtime Plan that families can use to notice patterns, identify what makes sleep harder and record which changes genuinely help.
The aim is not to force sleep or create a complicated bedtime programme.
It is to reduce unnecessary demands at the end of the day and create a predictable route towards rest that fits the individual child.
Where sleep problems are persistent, severe or affecting daytime life, the guide also explains when it is important to seek individual professional support rather than assuming the problem is simply ADHD or behaviour.
Space to Breathe Therapy
ADHD Parent Support Series - Part 15
