Gentle Sleepers - Child Sleep Coaching

While every child can struggle with sleep, those with special needs often face additional and unique challenges.

Children with autism often have more difficulties with sleep due to a combination of physiological, behavioral, and neurological factors.🧠

Research shows that up to 80% of children with autism experience sleep problems, which can also worsen daytime symptoms, such as sensory issues and challenges with self-regulation. This can become a vicious cycle - symptoms interfere with sleep, leading to an increase in symptoms, and so on. ♻️

Follow Gentle Sleepers - Child Sleep Coaching for tips and strategies to help your child with autism sleep better. 😴

It's 9 PM. You've done everything right — bath, stories, lights low, white noise humming.
And yet your child is still wide awake, complaining that their pajamas feel scratchy, that the blanket is wrong, that there's a sound you can't even hear.

Sound familiar?

If you're raising a child with sensory sensitivities — especially one with autism, ADHD, or anxiety — bedtime can feel like navigating a minefield. And the truth is, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼: 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁. 🧠

Understanding how sensory processing affects sleep is one of the most important — and most overlooked — pieces of the sleep puzzle. 💤🧩

In my latest article, I explain:

✅ What sensory processing is and why it matters at bedtime.
✅ The difference between over-sensitivity and under-sensitivity (and how both disrupt sleep).
✅ The 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 that affect sleep (including two most people don't know about).
✅ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 for building a sensory-friendly sleep environment and routine.

Once you understand your child's sensory profile, you can stop fighting against their nervous system and start working with it. 🌈

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.gentlesleepers.com/blog/how-sensory-processing-affects-your-childs-sleep

👇𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀!

If you're reading this at 2 AM with a child who won't sleep, first—you're not alone.

Up to 80% of children with autism experience significant sleep challenges. That's not a small number. And here's what matters: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱.

That's not a failure on your part. It means your child needs a different approach.

In my latest article, I break down:

✅ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 autism affects sleep the way it does (sensory sensitivities, melatonin differences, anxiety, communication challenges)
✅ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (and why you're not failing when "cry it out" backfires)
✅ 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 — from optimizing the sleep environment to using gradual fading methods that respect your child's nervous system

Sleep problems in children with autism are real, they're common, and they have identifiable causes. They're also 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 — with the right approach, applied consistently, and tailored to your child's specific needs.

Your child isn't broken. You're not failing. And peaceful nights are not out of reach.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.gentlesleepers.com/blog/sleep-problems-children-autism

How I help families finally get sleep 💤

If your child is struggling with falling asleep, waking through the night, or bedtime battles… you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure this out on your own.

As a 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 (𝗕𝗖𝗕𝗔)and 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 (𝗖𝗕𝗦𝗦), I take a different approach to sleep.

I’m not just looking at what is happening....I’m looking at why. Because sleep challenges are often connected to things like routines, expectations, environment, or how your child is communicating their needs.

That’s why every plan I create is:
✨ Evidence-based
✨ Individualized to your child and family
✨ Focused on foundations first (not quick fixes)
✨ Supported with hands-on coaching every step of the way

We work together to build something that actually lasts—not something that falls apart in a week.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹? Better sleep for your child, and more rest, confidence, and peace for your whole family.

💙 If this sounds like your nights lately, feel free to send me a message or comment below—I'd love to hear what you're struggling with.

Or, if you're looking for more support, visit my website at 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 to schedule your 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

So honored to be featured by the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants! It’s a privilege to be part of such an incredible global community of professionals dedicated to helping families get the rest they need. Check out the feature below, or visit my website to learn more about me and how I support families: www.gentlesleepers.com

Welcome to IACSC, Elisha Iggulden!

We’re delighted to welcome Elisha Iggulden, founder of Gentle Sleepers, to the IACSC community!

Elisha is a dedicated sleep consultant passionate about supporting families with gentle, responsive approaches to sleep. Through Gentle Sleepers, she helps parents navigate sleep challenges with confidence, offering practical guidance that respects both the child’s needs and the family’s values.

With a warm and understanding approach, Elisha empowers families to create calm, restful nights while building strong, connected relationships.

Connect with Elisha:
https://www.gentlesleepers.com/


https://www.facebook.com/GentleSleepers

Ever been told to just “let them cry it out”… but something in your gut said that’s not right for my child?

You’re not wrong.

For many sensitive or neurodivergent children, sleep struggles aren’t about “bad habits” — they’re about how their brain processes the world.

✨ Bright lights, sounds, textures, even transitions can feel overwhelming
✨ Their nervous system stays on high alert longer
✨ “Powering down” for sleep isn’t simple — it’s a full-body regulation process

So when we use traditional sleep training methods like 'Cry It Out', we’re often asking a dysregulated nervous system to calm itself… without the tools it actually needs.

That’s why these approaches can lead to:
• Longer crying
• Increased anxiety around sleep
• More night wakings (not less)

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁.

It supports your child’s sensory needs, builds regulation skills, and creates safety around sleep — instead of stress.

Because when a child feels safe, sleep comes more naturally.

If this resonates with you, I created my 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗲𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸, "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻", to walk you through exactly how to support your child in a way that actually works with their brain — not against it.

💛 You don’t have to force sleep. You can support it.

👉 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.gentlesleepers.com/neuro-sleep