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Helping your disabled child sleep
This information is based on sleep behaviour of disabled children aged 4 and over.
Sleep problems affect a child’s learning, behaviour, mood and health, and the physical and mental wellbeing of the whole family.
There are some factors beyond your control that can affect your child’s sleep. You should get advice from a medical professional if:
- your child is in pain
- your child’s condition can disrupt sleep
- your child’s medication can affect sleep
Most sleep problems are caused by behaviours that they have learned. Try to teach your child to self-settle at the onset of sleep. When they wake up in the night, it helps them to fall asleep on their own.
You could also try talking to your child to find out if they cannot sleep because they are worried about something. Do this during the day, not at bedtime. Speak to your doctor if you think your child might have anxiety.
Before bedtime
- Spend time with your child doing a quiet activity like play dough, massage, jigsaws or colouring as part of their bedtime routine.
- Do the bath or shower just before bed, or earlier if your child finds a bath too exciting.
- Make sure your child has a supper snack at the start of their bedtime routine if they are still hungry.
In the bedroom
- Put away or cover toys, bright colours and noisy items from the bedroom to make it feel calm.
- Make sure the bedroom is dark enough. Use Velcro blackout kits or blackout blinds to keep light out.
- The best temperature is 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, but try to find out what your child finds comfortable.
- Lie on your child’s mattress to see if it is comfortable. If possible, ask how it feels to your child.
Settling your child when they wake up
Show your child that you are there to reassure them but try not to stimulate them.
- If they fall asleep with a light on or listening to music, keep these on to avoid potential night wakings due to a change of environment.
- Repeat the same phrase, such as “It’s time to sleep.”
- Keep the lights off or use a night light.
It is important to wake your child at the same time every day. This includes weekends and school holidays. If you follow this advice for at least 3 weeks, your child’s sleeping pattern should get better.
If you have a partner, try to take turns being responsible for your child’s sleep. That way at least someone can get a good night’s rest.
Keeping a sleep diary
When we are sleep deprived, we can become forgetful and stressed so do not always recognise what is happening at night.
Each night merges into another, so you need to be able to take night time and look at it in segments. Using a sleep diary can help you identify areas of inconsistency and areas to praise. You might even notice your child is getting more sleep than you thought!
To be effective, you need to complete your sleep diary honestly and fully.
- If your child sleeps elsewhere, such as a respite centre or another family member’s house, ask them to fill in the sleep diary. You might notice your child’s sleep pattern is different there.
- Check with your school to see if your child naps in the day. Ask the escort if they sleep on the bus home. This will affect night-time sleep if the nap is too late in the day or if they are at an age when they should not need naps.
- Keep the diary and a pencil by the bed. Fill it in immediately. It is hard trying to remember what happened.
- Share the diary with sleep professionals to see if they can help you find a cause for your child’s sleeping difficulties.
- Keep the diary for at least 2 weeks. See if you can see a pattern to your child’s sleeping habits. You can then identify an area that you can start to address.
Talking about how you feel
Speaking to other parents with disabled children can be a good way of getting support and advice.
Last reviewed by Scope on: 06/03/2025
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