How To Get Your Toddler To Sleep In A Big Kid Bed · Certified Sleep Coach Jessica Berk

3 SLEEP TIPS for Kids with Special Needs | Autism, Sensory Processing

·33 min·3 clips

Melissa Doman reveals why special needs kids need bedtime routines up to an hour long to fill their sensory cups.

Jessica Burke, a sleep coach for older children, hosts Melissa Doman, a consultant specializing in sleep for neurodivergent kids. Doman has over a decade of experience working with children who have autism or sensory processing disorders. She began researching sleep after exhausted parents in her therapy practice repeatedly asked for help. Her first tip involves extending the bedtime routine to 45-60 minutes to meet a child's specific neurological and sensory needs. She tailors each routine based on developmental assessments, incorporating activities like joint compression massage for sensory seekers. For children sensitive to sounds, she recommends practicing with random noises during the routine to reduce nighttime awakenings. Doman states that about 25% of the children she works with have night wakings linked to insufficient calorie intake. She emphasizes foods high in magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B6 to aid natural melatonin absorption and suggests a protein-rich bedtime snack. Her third tip involves carefully tracking a child's physical activity and screen time to find a balance that avoids overstimulation. Doman advises limiting total daily screen time to a maximum of 90 minutes if sleep issues persist despite cutting screens an hour before bed. She notes that many pediatricians recommend melatonin, but she finds it often leads to worsened sleep, like early-morning partying, after a few hours of deep rest. She prefers to boost calcium and B6 intake to help the body sustain its own melatonin. Doman challenges the assumption that neurodivergent children cannot learn sleep independence, stating kids often understand more than they can verbalize. She recounts a case where a family tried five medications at a top sleep clinic without addressing the child's three-hour rocking dependency on her mother. The conversation is educational and supportive, blending practical advice with explanations of underlying physiological needs. The tone is collaborative, with both hosts sharing professional anecdotes and validating the challenges parents face. This episode is ideal for parents of neurodivergent children struggling with bedtime routines, night wakings, or reliance on sleep aids. Listeners seeking quick, generic sleep tips or those opposed to structured sleep training methods might find it less applicable.

As heard by us

A practical sleep consult for toddlers who need a different bedtime playbook.

Jessica Burke starts with a sleep problem many parents will recognize: a toddler who needs a parent in the room, keeps climbing out of bed, or shows up in the parent bed by dawn.

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Why you'd press play

For bedtime battles that need special-needs-specific guidance, not a generic reset.

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