My daughter Avleen was born prematurely at 28 weeks but is now five years old.
She was diagnosed with Autism in 2018 and this often causes sensory issues which can lead to meltdowns.
Sleep Issues
She had disturbed sleep until she was three but then things started to get much worse. She wouldn’t nap at all through the day, and even though she was exhausted she would wake up through the night – sometimes hourly.
It inevitably started to affect her school work because she was so tired during the day that she couldn’t concentrate and would act out.
Things came to a head when I was pregnant and had my second child. Avleen was waking up through the night and wasn’t able to settle herself. Once her sister Harneez was born, the crying of the baby in the night would also affect Avleen. It was taking a huge toll on the whole family.
We saw a paediatrician who suggested that we try melatonin but I was hesitant to try this as a first step. The paediatrician also suggested that we get in touch with the sleep team at Cerebra for some advice and support.
Cerebra
We were put in touch with Claire who listened to what was going on and asked lots of questions to help understand our situation.
We worked together to put a plan in place to improve Avleen’s sleep.
Claire suggested that we avoid giving Avleen a bottle before bed but rather give her a small snack if she was hungry. We were also advised to switch screens off at 7pm to allow her to start winding down before sleep.We started to give her a bath as part of her evening routine and this allowed Avleen to recognise for herself when it was bed time.
Claire was in frequent contact during this time. For every issue that we had surrounding sleep, she was looking for a reason why it would be happening so that we could adjust Avleen’s routine accordingly.
Improvement
After completing every step of the routine, we were finally able to bring Avleen’s bedtime forward to 9pm. She started to go to bed much more relaxed and as a result, was finally able to sleep through the night without any episodes of waking.
Once her sleep started to improve we realised that part of the problem previously had been that she had been extremely restless in her sleep and her hair was getting tangled. This was causing her sensory issues and was leading to meltdowns.
Positive Effects
Before we worked with Claire, Avleen was anxious about everything, especially at night. Now her behaviour is better because she is much more well rested. She even recognises when it is time to go to bed and asks to go to bed herself – something that would have never happened before.
The only time that she wakes during the night now is if she has a cold or is suffering with hay fever. This obviously disturbs her sleep but is understandable.
She will sleep for ten hours now which is amazing.
It has had a hugely positive effect on her behaviour. She is now able to concentrate much more at school and we have noticed that her asthma is much more under control.
It’s not just had a positive effect on Avleen but has also made things better for the entire family. I know that I’m not going to have any issues getting her to sleep. We’re all far more rested and this has meant that we are able to cope with everyday life much more easily. I have gained so much confidence with the help of Claire.
Our Sleep Service, gives more information about how you can get help from one of our sleep practitioners.
