Dealing With Bedtime Arguments (I'm not tired!) :)
Michael Clark • June 27, 2023
Hi Parents In Our Autism Community,
We know this is really tricky. We know that so many of the kids and teens we look after having these arguments regularly with parents.
Reducing Bedtime Arguments:
- Use a timer. Set the timer an hour before bedtime, or even better have your child set the timer.
- Have a wind down routine. Set up so bedtime doesn’t mean go to sleep… It means you can read or do whatever you like in bed for 20 minutes.
- Exhaust your child during the day with exercise (e.g. trampoline time) so they are more tired at bedtime.
- Set our morning alarm earlier and morning routine earlier so that our child has been awake longer and will be more tired later.
- Have a reward system so that each night we go to bed on time, we get an extra 15 minutes of computer games on tomorrow.
- Dodge coke or caffeine drinks in the afternoon and evening
At Amazing Skills, many of us have children with Autism ourselves and we look forward to the bedtime routine about as much as you do.
Also some of the bedtime dramas come down to emotional regulation skills, and we have programs that help your child to develop those skills.
You can see those programs here: www.amazingskills.com.au.
Remember that you're an awesome parent.
š Good luck,
Michael Clark
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