As parents, ensuring your child gets a good night’s sleep can sometimes be a challenge. Occupational therapists (OTs) often work with children and families to improve sleep, especially for kids with sensory processing difficulties, developmental disorders, or behavioral challenges. In this blog post, we’ll explore key concepts about sleep and offer practical, OT-approved strategies that can help improve your child’s sleep habits.
What is Sleep?
Sleep is a vital process that helps regulate physical and emotional health. It involves two main phases: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (Non-REM) sleep. Occupational therapists often help families understand these cycles and how to optimize them. For example, deep Non-REM sleep is the most restorative, making it crucial for children’s development.
Why is Sleep Important for Children?
Sleep is essential for growth, development, and emotional regulation. Occupational therapists emphasize how sleep supports not only physical growth—due to the release of human growth hormone during sleep—but also cognitive and emotional development. Poor sleep can lead to problems such as irritability, difficulty concentrating, and reduced motivation, especially for children with additional medical or developmental needs, like ADHD or autism.
Here’s a guide to how much sleep children need based on age:
- Newborns: 16–18 hours a day
- Preschool-aged children: 11–12 hours a day
- School-aged children: At least 10 hours a day
- Teens: 9–10 hours a day
Common Sleep Issues
Two of the most common sleep challenges in children are:
- Difficulty Initiating Sleep – Trouble falling asleep or bedtime resistance.
- Difficulty Maintaining Sleep – Waking up frequently or too early and being unable to return to sleep.
Occupational therapists may work with families to identify underlying sensory or environmental issues that could be contributing to these difficulties.
Sleep Strategies with an OT Focus
One of the key ways occupational therapists help children improve their sleep is by focusing on sleep hygiene—habits and routines that create a strong foundation for healthy sleep.
- Create a Calming Bedtime Routine
- OT’s Perspective: A bedtime routine should involve sensory activities that help regulate your child’s nervous system. This might include calming activities like reading, using soft music, or dimming lights.
- Avoid stimulating activities like screen time or rough play in the hour before bed.
- For children with sensory sensitivities, occupational therapists often recommend weighted blankets or body pillows to help provide calming deep pressure during bedtime.
- Maintain a Sensory-Friendly Sleep Environment
- OT’s Perspective: Occupational therapists are skilled in helping families design sleep environments that cater to their child’s sensory needs. For instance, if your child is sensitive to noise, a white-noise machine might help block out background sounds. If they’re sensitive to light, blackout curtains or a sleep mask can help.
- Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to encourage better sleep. Some children benefit from soft bedding or weighted blankets, which provide proprioceptive input that helps the body calm down.
- Use Gradual Bedtime Adjustments
- OT’s Perspective: Occupational therapists can help tailor gradual bedtime adjustments (like bedtime fading) for children, particularly those with developmental disorders or anxiety. By tracking sleep patterns and making small changes, children can learn to fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer.
- Sensory Tools for Sleep
- OT’s Perspective: If your child has difficulty relaxing at bedtime, sensory strategies like slow, rhythmic movement (e.g., rocking), white-noise machines, or relaxation CDs can help. Occupational therapists also suggest deep pressure techniques, such as using a weighted blanket or swaddling, to promote relaxation and prepare the body for sleep.
Final Thoughts
Improving sleep requires a consistent routine, a sensory-friendly environment, and sometimes specialized strategies that an occupational therapist can help develop. Every child is unique, and the key to better sleep often lies in understanding your child’s specific sensory needs.
If your child struggles with sleep and you’re unsure how to proceed, an occupational therapist can assess their sensory profile and recommend individualized strategies. For more information on sleep strategies or to consult an OT, feel free to reach out to our clinic for guidance.