Introduction
Sleep is important for everyone. It helps children grow, learn and cope with everyday life. Many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities find sleep harder. This can affect the whole family. There is a range of support to help you understand sleep difficulties and take steps that can make things better.
Sleep matters
Good sleep supports your child’s:
- physical health – growth, immunity and energy
- emotional wellbeing – mood, anxiety and resilience
- learning and attention – memory, focus and behaviour
- daily routines – getting ready for school and activities
- relationships – calmer days can mean less stress at home
When sleep is poor, children may find it harder to cope with change, sensory input or demands. Parent carers may also feel exhausted and overwhelmed.
Improving sleep can make a real difference to family life, even if changes are small and gradual.
Common challenges
Sleep can be challenging at any age – from babies and toddlers through to teenagers. Sleep difficulties are more common and often more persistent for children with SEND.
Some children may:
- take a long time to fall asleep
- wake often during the night
- wake very early
- need a parent or carer present to fall back asleep
- feel anxious or distressed at bedtime
- have very different sleep patterns to other children their age
For children with additional needs, sleep can be affected by:
- neurodivergent profiles, such as autism or ADHD
- sensory differences, like sensitivity to noise, light or touch
- anxiety, trauma or change, including school or family stress
- communication differences, which make it hard to explain worries
- medical needs, such as epilepsy or breathing difficulties
- medication side effects
These challenges are not caused by poor parenting. They reflect how your child’s brain and body work. There is no “one size fits all” approach.
Resources and guidance
Most sleep support starts with understanding patterns and trying behavioural strategies first. This often includes:
- keeping a simple sleep diary
- looking at bedtime routines and sleep environments
- making small, realistic changes over time
- getting consistent advice from trusted professionals below
You can find reliable information on creating a good sleep routine on Healthy Somerset.
Somerset Sleep Toolkit gives parent carers and professionals clear, practical support to help children and young people sleep better.
ChatHealth is a confidential text service offering advice and signposting for parents and young people. This is run by Health Visitors and School Nurses who are trained to give safe, evidence‑based sleep advice. Their support is tailored to your child and your family. Kooth also supports 10 to 25 year olds with online wellbeing tools.
The Children and Young People’s Therapy Service have a range of advice sheets to support with topics, including sleep for both early years and school age children.
Somerset Parent Carer Forum WISE Up Workshops cover a variety of topics including sleep. They have also co-produced a comprehensive resource, Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child, written by parents for parents. The guide includes practical, lived-experience-informed advice on a range of day-to-day issues, including sleep.
The Lullaby Trust provides clear, trusted safer sleep guidance for babies.
Cerebra Sleep Advice Service gives families clear, practical guidance to understand why their child may struggle with sleep and what can help. They offer personalised advice, including one‑to‑one support by phone or email, alongside easy‑to‑read sleep tips, guides and webinars tailored for children with additional needs. The focus is on non‑medical, behavioural strategies that fit around your child’s needs, routines and family life.
Services to help
Support is available from a range of professionals, including:
- Health Visiting Service and School Nurses – for initial advice and support using sleep diaries. Safe, evidence‑based sleep advice, based on national guidance and tailored to your child and family.
- Young Somerset Community Wellbeing Service – low intensity CBT to build confidence, resilience and positive comping skills for a variety of emotional problems including sleep
- Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) Health coaches – integrate sleep into holistic wellbeing advice for people with long-term conditions.
- Medical care – for managing conditions such as sleep apnoea, epilepsy or genetic syndromes
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) – for support where sleep is affected by anxiety, trauma or mental health needs.
While some services accept self-referrals, it’s best to speak to your GP, healthcare professional, or hospital consultant to explore the most appropriate support. Medication such as melatonin is carefully reviewed and is usually used alongside behavioural strategies.