Commentary

Monthly Message: Restful nights, ready mornings – supporting sleep as school starts

September 11, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By WonderTree

As summer winds down, many families face a familiar challenge: getting kids back into a healthy sleep routine for school. Late nights, irregular schedules, and extra screen time can make the first weeks of September tough. For kids and teens with disabilities and learning differences, the transition can be even more challenging.

Sleep is essential for focus, learning, and overall well-being. Yet, many children, especially those who are autistic, have ADHD, experience anxiety or depression, or are gifted, struggle to get the rest they need. Understanding why sleep can be so tricky is the first step in helping your child reset.

Autistic youth may find sleep difficult because of sensitivities to light, noise, or textures, or because their internal body clocks do not align with typical schedules. Children with ADHD often describe feeling “wired” at bedtime. This can be linked to delayed melatonin production as well as racing thoughts that make it hard to wind down. For teens who experience anxiety or depression, nights often bring rumination, physical tension, or disrupted sleep cycles that keep them awake. Gifted children and teens may have overactive minds that make it hard to quiet down at night, while others genuinely need less sleep than their peers.

No two children’s sleep needs are exactly alike, which is why flexibility and patience are so important. Experts recommend starting to adjust sleep habits about two weeks before school begins, but it is never too late to make small, helpful changes.

One of the most effective steps is creating a consistent bedtime and wake-up time and sticking to it, even on weekends. Predictability helps regulate the body’s clock. Another helpful tool is building a calming bedtime routine. Reading, journaling, listening to music, or dimming the lights an hour before bed can all help signal to the body that it is time to sleep.

Reducing screen time before bed is also essential, since the blue light from phones and tablets can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin. If avoiding screens is not possible, blue light filters or glasses can help lessen the impact.

The sleep environment itself can make a big difference. Blackout curtains, white noise machines, or weighted blankets can reduce sensory distractions and create a more restful setting. Allowing children to choose comfortable bedding and pajamas can also support better rest, especially if they are sensitive to certain textures.

Relaxation strategies such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or calming scents like lavender can help ease nighttime tension. Some children also benefit from “rest time,” where the focus is not on forcing sleep but simply on lying quietly until their bodies naturally relax. Parents can help by modelling good sleep habits themselves, showing that rest is a priority for the whole family.

If sleep challenges continue despite consistent routines, it may be helpful to consult a doctor. Sleep studies, therapy, or other professional supports can sometimes be necessary to address underlying issues.

The most important takeaway is that every child’s sleep needs are unique. For neurodivergent youth in particular, the goal is not a perfect sleep schedule but rather an environment and routine that helps them feel rested, calm, and ready to take on the school day.

Here’s to earlier bedtimes, brighter mornings, and a successful start to the school year. Happy back-to-school!

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