Disturbed sleep

A recent survey by the Handsel Trust indicates that a huge number of disabled children have problems with sleep and in many cases this affects the siblings' sleep. Many siblings are involved in settling their brother or sister at night, in some cases sharing a bed to help the other child feel more secure. For other siblings, the disruption in sleep is from the noise made by their brother or sister who is awake at night, or from the movement of parents attending to the child. Some of the consequences of disturbed sleep in siblings include reduced attention at school, being more prone to illness, and feeling resentful towards their brother or sister. The summary report is attached.

Action to take

• The first priority is aiming to get your child with a disability to sleep through the night or for a longer period of time. Contact a Family make some suggestions for dealing with this. Open this link: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/paptSleeping.pdf
• If a sibling is sharing a bed or a room and their sleep is being disrupted, do what you can to help him or her have their own quiet sleeping space.
• Talk to your social worker about home adaptations to make a bedroom more sound proof.
• A regular sleepover with a relative or friend may be another way of giving the sibling an opportunity to catch up on sleep at the weekend.
• Inform teachers about what is currently happening at home at night, so that siblings are not reprimanded for falling asleep in school or for not being able to concentrate.