By Patti Teel

More children than ever before are being diagnosed with special needs “neurobiological disorders” such as ADHD, clinical depression, sensory integration dysfunction, autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with these disorders are very likely to have sleep difficulties. In addition, the problems that characterize the disorders will be greatly exacerbated by a lack of sleep.

I cannot stress enough the importance of good sleep hygiene and relaxation skills. Children with neurobiological disorders are often stressed—as they struggle to control their behavior, “fit in,” and try to keep up with their schoolwork. They may also suffer from sleep-related side effects of medications that they are taking. Medications to treat mood disorders, stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and some of the medications used to treat tics in Tourette’s syndrome can all contribute to sleep problems.

If sleep problems continue to plague your child, work with your physician. Consider alternative therapies such as nutritional and dietary supplements, biofeedback and Chinese medicine. This is likely to be an adjunct to the care provided by your child’s primary-care physician. To ensure maximum benefits and avoid any negative interactions between traditional medication and alternative remedies, be sure that all of your child’s health-care providers work together. When you find the right healing modality for your child, you are likely to see a big improvement.

All children do best with healthy sleep habits. However, everything needs to be “buttoned down” if your child has special needs. For instance, while many children would have some difficulty settling down after a stimulating evening, it might cause a child with a neurobiological disorder to be up half the night. And while a consistent bedtime is always recommended, a child with autism is likely to feel very unsafe and unsettled if his bedtime routine is disrupted. For many children, it’s as if their reactions have been cranked up to full throttle. Of course, each child is different and you will know best what sets off a problem in your own child. However, in general, the same rules apply—only more so.

Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

By Marvin Perry

As a new mother or father, one of your priorities should be to develop good sleeping habits for your newborn baby. It is important for your baby to learn how to sleep on his or her own. The transition from sleeping with parents to sleeping on their own can be demanding and take some time. Of course, the need for a full night of rest, for the parents, should be adequate motivation to help one’s newborn baby learn how to sleep on their own. In order to instill good sleeping habits in your baby, you have to research and investigate a variety of baby sleep tips and solutions: try as many methods as you can and see which ones work for you and your newborn. Don’t be afraid to trust your parental instincts also.

Most baby sleep methods converge around the concept of determining routines and associations for your child’s naptime and sleep. The sooner your little one starts to relate bedtime with sleep, the more likely he is capable of going to sleep with no problem at all and sleeping through most of the night. A period that is commonly disregarded in forming day and night associations, is the “transition” period, the time between being awake and falling asleep. The following are a list of some transitioning techniques to try:

1. “Fathering Down” is good method parents should use in encouraging your baby’s sleep routine. Prior to placing the baby in bed, the father should cradle the baby so that the newborn’s head rests on the father’s neck. The father should then talk gently to the newborn until the child falls asleep. Babies are usually more soothed and calmed by a male’s deeper speech, and can fall asleep more smoothly upon hearing it for some time.

2. You can also attempt to execute a technique that is sometimes referred to as the “Wearing Down” method. If your baby is extremely energetic throughout the day and becomes so aroused that, at night, he or she cannot sleep, then this would be a very effective technique to use. All you have to do is “wear” your baby in a sling or carrier for about thirty minutes to an hour before their bedtime. Simply go about performing your normal household duties and, over time, the baby will gradually fall asleep. The idea and process of the baby being next to his or her parent and slowly rocked before bedtime aids the newborn in making an easier transition from being awake to being asleep.

3. Finally, if you’ve exhausted all the other options, and nothing works, you can attempt to employ the rarely used but effective “Driving Down” method. Unfortunately, most parents are informed about this procedure as a last resort. This technique involves placing your baby in the car and driving him or her around until they fall asleep. This method, while inconvenient, usually works all the time, and if you desperately need a full night of sleep, it is the most trusted and reliable method to use.

Apparently, you shouldn’t have to drive around every night or carry him in a sling to make your baby sleep through the night. The initial idea is to begin with these more demanding methods and slowly ease out of them. Keep in mind that your baby is going through major development while he is yet very young and small. They have never slept on their own before and it may take a while for them to adjust to their new sleeping routine. Newborns simply don’t know how to transition from being awake to being asleep, and it may require much patience on the part of the parents. However, by utilyzing these effective techniques you will be slowly conditioning your baby’s sleep pattern and habits, which will ensure that both you and your little one will obtain a good night of sleep.

About the Author:
Marvin Perry is the author of “Newborn Baby Sleep Solutions -Tips and Wisdom” and he maintains an informative site on developing healthy sleep habits for babies. To view Marvin’s helping baby sleep site go to: http://www.helping-baby-sleep-pattern.com.