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Simple ways you can support your children with exam related stress.

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A series of free videos and print resources with practical, evidence-based information and skills to address your most common parenting challenges.

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Supported by the state of California

Building off the success of Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids, the Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids Project is the second child mental health campaign funded by the state of California in partnership with the Child Mind Institute.

With support from California Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the Department of Health Care Services, these videos are designed to help every parent and caregiver in California and beyond support their kids' mental health and self-esteem in today's stressful world.

Why the Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids Project?

We all want to help our kids thrive, but sometimes it's hard to know how. When you run into parenting challenges, having reliable guidance to turn to can make a big difference .

"I want my children to succeed in lif e ... and help prepare them with a healthy amount of self - esteem and self - worth."

85 percent of California parents and caregivers agree they would benefit from resources to support their child/teen when they show signs of stress or anxiety.

What does the Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids Project include?

This series of 20 videos features more than 150 caregivers, kids, and experts talking about some of the most pressing, confusing, and challenging questions that parents face.

Like you, we want to help boost your kids' resilience and well-being, so this series covers a wide range of topics, including schoolwork, technology, and difficult situations such as death and grief.

For each topic, you'll also find a downloadable learning guide with tips, tools, and suggestions for additional evidence-based resources and programs that may help you and your family.

How was Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids created?

Grounded in the lived experiences of parents and kids

To reflect parents' concerns and experiences, the Child Mind Institute surveyed a diverse group of 1,000 California caregivers to understand what topics they felt would be most helpful as they navigate the challenges of raising their kids. We sought feedback from California teens to make sure youth voices are also represented.
"It is important for my parents to understand the problems I deal with. It will be good for them to also learn how to talk to me about my feelings, diet, and sex stuff."

The Child Mind Institute Team

All project resources were developed under the guidance of Dr. Harold Koplewicz, one of the world's leading child and teen psychiatrists, and led by Dr. David Anderson, PhD in clinical psychology from Columbia University; Dr. Janine Domingues, PhD in child clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut; and Demerris Brooks, EdD in organization and leadership from the University of San Francisco.

We partnered with a stellar creative team to develop engaging and actionable videos that reflect the rich diversity of California parents and caregivers. English and Spanish language directors worked together during the development of these videos to ensure sensitivity to different cultures - and then shot the videos with different families and experts.

Expert Partners

The Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids videos were developed with input from a wide range of top experts from California and around the world.

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Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids - Child Mind Institute

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Explore a series of free, evidence-based video resources for parents. Use these videos to teach your kids critical mental health and coping skills.

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If you or someone you know is in crisis or at risk of harm, please call 111 or 999, go to your nearest A&E, or contact one of the helplines below immediately. Your safety is our priority.

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Childline offers free, private and confidential help and advice for anyone under 19 in the UK, 24 hours a day. Call 0800 1111 or visit their website to chat online.

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Childline | Free counselling service for kids and young people | Childline

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Get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call us on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards.

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Samaritans offers a confidential listening service available 24/7 for anyone experiencing distress, loneliness or struggling to cope. Call 116 123 (free), or email jo@samaritans.org.

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We do not tolerate behaviours that are threatening or abusive in any way. While we recognise that people who exhibit these behaviours have a right to the support they need, it's not possible for us to provide a safe and supportive space when met with threatening or abusive behaviours.

We act to prevent further contacts from callers who behave in these ways. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
Limiting or withdrawing access to our services
From time to time we may have to use the information collected about you when you contact us to make decisions about limiting access to our services. If we believe you are abusing our service or are abusive towards volunteers, we will use our system to block your calls or messages from getting through.

If you can't get through by phone, you will hear a message that explains how to contact us to discuss our decision to block you from our system.

If we take the decision to limit your access to our systems, we will make every effort to inform you as to the reason why we have restricted your access. We may ask you to give us a contact number so that a member of our Caller Support Team can call you to talk about your support needs.

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If you're going through a tough time, contact us free. We won't judge you or tell you what to do. We are here to listen so you don't have to face it alone.

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YoungMinds provides free, 24/7 text support for young people and their parents, when a child or young person is experiencing a mental health crisis. Text YM to 85258.

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We’re the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health. YoungMinds exists so that young people have the strongest possible voice in improving their mental health. We need your help to make sure that voice is heard. We’re leading the fight fo…

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Find your local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for assessment and treatment support.

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Harrow CAMHS :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

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We are a team of specialist clinicians, therapists and nurses supporting children, young people and their families and carers. We offer support including in-person, individual, on-line and group therapy, talking therapy, art therapy, family therapy, treatments, and urgent care.

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If you have concerns or would like support, please reach out to me – your Mental Health Lead. Your conversations are confidential and we're here to help. You can all the school office and ask to speak to the school SENCO or DSL, or contact us on either: safeguarding@roxeth.harrow.sch.uk or senco@roxethprimary.harrow.sch.uk

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Explore meditation and mindfulness resources designed especially for young people.

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Hub

With the pandemic still creating lots of anxiety and stress, it's more important than ever to look after your children's wellbeing. This year we've got Dr Ranj an NHS doctor, and Cbeebies presenter onboard to help us all to wind down and relax with a special exercise, and resources from Twinkl below.

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Hub With the pandemic still creating lots of anxiety and stress, it's more important than ever to look after your children's wellbeing. This year we've got Dr Ranj an NHS doctor, and Cbeebies presenter onboard to help us all to wind down and relax with a special exercise, and resources from Twinkl below.

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Try these exercises to help you to manage your emotions and feelings healthily.

Mindfulness is the practice of paying purposeful attention to the present moment. This simple yet profound approach teaches individuals to be fully engaged in whatever they’re doing, rather than being lost in thoughts, distractions, or reactions

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12 Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Cosmic Kids

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12 fun mindfulness activities for kids! These mindfulness ideas feature a range of activities suitable for a children of a variety of ages.

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A safe, confidential and free online mental health service for children and young people.

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Kooth is a digital mental health and wellbeing service providing free, accessible, and clinically robust support with no waiting lists.

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Childline offers relaxation exercises, videos, and breathing techniques to help you manage stress and feel calm.

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There are lots of way to feel calmer. Try our breathing exercises, activities and games or watch a video to help let go of stress.

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Try using Childline's 'Mood Journal' to help record how you're feeling and why. It allows you to let your feelings out, learn what makes you feel down or upset, reminds you of things to be proud of, and keep track of new things you try.

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Whenever you save anything in the mood journal we'll check it to make sure you're safe.

Your mood journal is confidential between you and Childline, we'd only need to say or do something if:

you ask us to

we believe your life or someone else's life is in danger

you're being hurt by an adult responsible for children, like a teacher, who is able to hurt other children like a teacher, religious leader, sports coach, police officer or doctor

you tell us that you're seriously hurting another person

you tell us about another child who's being hurt and is not able to tell someone or understand what is happening to them

we're told we have to by law, for example for a court case.

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Whenever you save anything in the mood journal we'll check it to make sure you're safe.

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Feeling worried about exams? YoungMinds has tips specifically to help with revision worries, sleep and managing nerves.

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If you're worried about how your child is coping with exams at school, here is our advice and information on where you can get help.

Get advice and updates directly to your inbox

Join our fight for children and young people's mental health. Sign up to the YoungMinds mailing list to receive our monthly e-newsletter, campaign updates, information about events and fundraising and other opportunities to get involved in our work.

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Exams are a stressful time for any young person

Mood swings and outbursts are more likely to occur during this period. Look out for other signs that your child may be struggling, including poor sleep patterns or a change in appetite or behaviour.

It's worth preparing ways of supporting your child during exam weeks and thinking about how you will react and respond on the day if they don't get the result that they, or you, are hoping for.

Things that can help your child in the lead up to exams

Work with your child to find what revision style works for them.

Encourage your child to take revision breaks and find a balance between studying and doing things they find enjoyable and relaxing.

Make sure they are eating and drinking at regular intervals.

Encourage them to take some time after revising to wind down.

Reassure them - reinforce that you are and will be proud of them no matter what happens.

Remain positive and hopeful!

Plan a treat or an activity together to mark the end of the exams.

Set aside one to one time so that they can talk to you about any worries.

Let them know their feelings are valid and normal, but also offer support and solutions where possible.

Anxiety is often worst at night and this means it is useful to encourage a good bedtime routine.

Work with them to develop relaxation techniques.

If anxiety and stress start impacting their day-to-day life, seek help from your GP.

Helping your child to plan a realistic revision timetable, which breaks the days and subjects down into manageable chunks, will reduce their anxiety by increasing their sense of control and confidence.

How to help your child manage exam stress

How the school can support you

Speak to your child's teacher(s) to find out what revision techniques they recommend.

If your child is struggling with a specific subject, talk to the relevant teacher and explore whether they can provide additional help.

Find out if the school has learning mentors that can help with practical steps including revision timetables.

If your child has additional learning or developmental needs, speak to the school SENCO and establish what specialist provision they can put in place.

Exam Stress - Roundup | YoungMinds Parents Lounge

How to manage a 'disappointing' exam results day

If your child is unhappy with their exam results it can be tough to deal with. Here are some things that can help:

If your child is happy to show you their results statement, you might find it helpful to have a look, just in case they have misread or misunderstood, or overlooked something.

Accept their feelings, whatever they are - disappointment, anger, embarrassment, bravado. Their feelings are neither right nor wrong, they just are. Don't offer immediate judgement, or solutions, or even reassurance - there will be plenty of time for conversations later.

Reflect back how they are feeling to show you have understood, for example, "I can see you're disappointed with the Maths result."

Let them know you love them through highs and lows. Big hugs are good (although probably very embarrassing in public).

Show you're on their side - it could be something small like getting their favourite snack.

Give yourself some breathing space and time to reflect.

Ask the school to help your child explore any possible next steps, such as re-takes, re-marking or alternative courses.

If your child is disappointed with their results, they might also be embarrassed. Agree with your child how they want their results discussed with family and friends, if at all.

You might also find this helpful:

Where to get further help

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

Help us improve our content

Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you'd like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

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Exam Time & Exam Stress | Parents Guide To Support

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Exams are a stressful time for any young person, if you're worried about how your child is coping read our tips and advice on how to help.

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A good night's sleep is essential for wellbeing. Here is NHS advice on improving your sleep routine.

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Ideas to cope with and manage sleep in young children, including if your child refuses to go to bed.

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Anna Freud Centre presents great videos and guides to help you understand, work through, and talk about your emotions.

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Pause and take a moment for your wellbeing. Follow this guided mindful breathing exercise to feel calmer and more focused.

Check out this kid-friendly channel all about different ways to breathe - mindfully! https://www.youtubekids.com/channel/UCFmUuRhirRUPRtROX0KiQcw

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YoungMinds offers expert information, advice and resources to help you support your child’s mental health and wellbeing.

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It's okay to reach out for help. Your situation is unique and no parent has all the answers. We all need a little extra support sometimes, and we hear from parents and carers just like you all the time.

So, if you're worried about the mental health and wellbeing of a child or young person up to the age of 25, you can chat to us by phone, email or webchat.

Our Parents Helpline is also accessible for those who are hard of hearing or speak English as an additional language. If English is not your first or preferred language, we can arrange for a language translator to support you on a call with one of our helpline advisers. Or if you would like to use our webchat or email service, we offer a digital translation service.

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Parents Mental Health Support | Advice for Your Child

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Practical tips, advice and where you can get help if your child or teenager is struggling with their mood, feelings, or their behaviour seems different.

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As parents and carers, there are ways we can support our children to give them the best chance to stay mentally healthy.

Encouraging and guiding a child to think about their own mental health and wellbeing are vital skills you can teach them from a young age.

Find out how you can help a child to have good mental health, including knowing how to talk to a child about their mental health, and when to spot signs they might be struggling.

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Children’s mental health - Every Mind Matters

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See tips and advice for parents and carers on how to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and give them the best chance to stay healthy.

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If your child is feeling anxious, nervous or panicky, there are small steps you can take to help them – including understanding the reasons why they’re feeling anxious, providing emotional support and find the right professional help, if they need it.

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Signs and symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety feels different for everyone. But if your child has been excessively anxious or worrying for a few months about different events or activities, it's worth reaching out for help.

Some young people may be anxious about certain things. For example, if you have an overwhelming fear of social situations, it is sometimes called social anxiety disorder (social phobia).

When a young child is feeling anxious, they might not be able to understand or put into words how they're feeling. Instead, they might:

Older children may experience physical, mental, or emotional symptoms such as:

feeling nervous, restless or "on edge" all the time

having lots of negative thoughts or believing that terrible things are going to happen

feeling tired and fatigued

difficulty concentrating

feeling grumpy and irritable

having difficulty sleeping

feeling lightheaded and dizzy

headaches or stomach aches

trembling or shaking

loss of appetite

withdrawing from friends and family

feeling disconnected from their mind, body, or the world around them

It can be difficult to know if there's something worrying a child. But you know your child better than anyone. If you are concerned, talk to them about how they're feeling and remind them that you're here to help.

What causes anxiety?

Everyone experiences anxiety differently, so it's not always easy to pinpoint a cause.

There are a lot of reasons why a child may feel anxious. But they may be more likely to feel anxious if they:

have experienced a lot of change in a short space of time, such as moving house or school

are around someone else, such as a parent, who is very anxious

struggle at school and feel overwhelmed by work and exams

have responsibilities beyond their age, for example, if they're a young carer

have gone through a distressing or traumatic experience, such as being bullied or being in a car accident or house fire

have experienced family conflict, abuse, or neglect

have experienced grief or bereavement

How to help a child with anxiety

There are lots of different strategies you can try with your child if they are struggling with anxiety or worry.

Every child is unique, and the techniques that will work for them may differ to other children. It's all about finding what works best for your child to better support them when they're feeling anxious. You can read more about strategies for coping with anxiety and worry here.

Treatment for anxiety in children

If your child's anxiety is impacting their day-to-day life, don't hesitate to get help. There are many different places you can get support. For instance, they could speak to:

Their GP - They can provide information, advice, and discuss therapy and medication if needed. They can also refer them to a mental health specialist or to Child and Adolescent Mental health Services (CAMHs), depending on your child's needs

School -If your child is struggling, it can sometimes help to speak with the school to let them know what's going on. However, make sure your child feels comfortable with this beforehand. As well as counselling, their school might be able to provide mental health support such as drop-in chat sessions or a peer buddy. Depending on your circumstances, they can also refer your child to CAMHS or other mental health services

A counsellor or therapist - Your child's GP or school may be able to refer them to a counsellor or therapist. They will be able to help your child better understand any difficult thoughts and feelings and teach them healthy ways to cope

Charity helplines - Sometimes it can help just to have a listening ear and a safe space where you can talk about what's troubling you. If your child is struggling and they don't know where to turn, they could contact helplines from charities such as The Mix, Childline, Samaritans, or Shout

What treatment your child is offered will depend on their age and the cause of their anxiety. It may include:
Therapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is one of the most common forms of talking therapy for anxiety. It's based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions are all connected.

It also teaches us that people can learn unhelpful thinking patterns, which can leave them feeling stuck in a negative loop, but that we can break free from them. By tuning into our feelings and noticing negative thinking patterns, CBT can teach us how to change things and deal with problems in a more positive way.

If a child is struggling with anxiety, they might also find counselling useful. Counselling is a type of talking therapy where a trained therapist will listen to you talk about any emotional problems you're facing and help you find better ways to cope.
Medication
In some cases, a doctor may be able to offer your child medication if they are severely struggling to cope with their anxiety and the strategies that they are actively putting in place from their talking therapies don't seem to be helping. However, there are a number of talking therapies that are recommended first.

Mental health support we offer

Supporting your child's mental health is an important part of parenting or caregiving.

We offer mental health services across the UK to help children, young people and families who are dealing with anxiety, such as:

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

one-to-one and group counselling

school-based programmes that teach young people about emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Some support you may be able to access yourself, on behalf of the child in your care. This is called a self-referral. Other times, a GP, teacher, or social worker will need to request this support for your child.

Remember, supporting other people's mental health can feel challenging. Go easy on yourself and make sure to reach out for support if you need it too. You can find further support for parents and carers here.

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Explore the common symptoms of anxiety in children, simple ways you can help the young person in your life, as well as the services we offer.

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Contact YoungMinds’ free and confidential helpline for parents and carers worried about a child under 25. Call 0808 802 5544 or webchat for support.

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It’s normal for your child to feel overwhelmed sometimes. Get help on how to guide your child through stressful situations.

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How do I help my child cope with stress? I Child Mind Institute

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Learn how to help your children understand their strengths and celebrate their efforts.

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How to Help Children Build Self-Esteem - Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids

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Help your child build healthy self-esteem by helping them understand their strengths and celebrating their efforts.

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Building basic wellness - sleep, diet and exercise

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Building basic wellness - sleep, diet and exercise

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Discover how creating healthy meal plans and fun physical activity routines for the family can help your child understand the importance of healthy choices.

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How to Help Children With Basic Wellness Habits - Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids

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Discover how creating healthy meal plans and fun physical activity routines for the family can help your child understand the importance of healthy choices.

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Helping my child with difficult experiences such as divorce and separation

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Helping my child with difficult experiences such as divorce and separation

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Stability and structure are so important when children experience divorce, but how do you create that? Learn how to develop routines and protect your children from conflict.

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Family and Community Stress

Stability and structure are so important when children experience divorce, but how do you create that? Learn how to develop routines and protect your children from conflict.

Other Family and Community Stress Episodes

We consulted with top parenting experts to identify additional resources that provide evidence-based tools and tips to help you navigate today's parenting challenges.

Check Out the Full Range of Our Thriving Kids Resources

Stay Updated

Enter your email address to learn about new articles, videos and other resources from the Child Mind Institute.

Questions or feedback about the project?
Contact Us

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How do I help my child with difficult experiences such as separation and divorce? - Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids

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Stability and structure are so important when children experience divorce, but how do you create that? Learn how to develop routines and protect your children from conflict.

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Discover a parent-centered approach to help your child manage anxiety. Learn effective strategies to support children's mental health and build resilience.

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How to Help a Child With Anxiety: A Parent-Centered Approach to Managing Children’s Anxiety Part 1/4

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It can be daunting as a parent supporting a child with mental health difficulties. Here is a guide to support you, including what to look out for and ways you might help.

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Parenting and Family Support - Family Lives (Parentline Plus) | Family Lives

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Parenting and family support from Family Lives (formerly Parentline Plus) through our website, helpline 0808 800 2222, email service at askus@familylives.org.uk, live chat and local services.

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Harrow Mental Health Team has a designated wellbeing practitioner to work directly with parents around challenges with behaviour or anxiety. Speak to any member of staff to access this wonderful service.

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Harrow Community Mental Health Hubs :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

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Westminster Community Mental Health Hubs bring together a wide range of mental health professionals working as a multi-disciplinary team who provide evidence-based health and social care interventions.

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Our school is lucky enough to have specialist counsellors working with both children and parents. Contact the school for information about speaking with our therapy lead about any challenges you or your child is facing.

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School’s Counselling Partnership – A holistic approach to working with children, families and staff in schools

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Wellbeing advice from the School Health Service

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Wellbeing advice from the School Health Service

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The School Health Service is made up of school health nurses, who are trained to identify and deliver the health needs of children that are of school age. A child’s care will be transferred from the health visitor to a school nurse at the age of five. There will a dedicated nurse for each school with more support to make sure reception-age children are ready for school.

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Anyone can refer to the service.

The primary location for delivery will be children centres, Milmans Children's Health Hub, health centres and education settings.

We will offer families, children and young people a choice of locations which best meets their needs such as community centres, general practice and, where appropriate, at home.

We ask that all parents of children in school reception year and those who have moved into the borough of harrow, complete and send in the questionnaire at the end of this leaflet.

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Harrow School Health Service :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

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Anyone can refer to the service. The primary location for delivery will be children centres, Milmans Children's Health Hub, health centres and education settings. We will offer families, children and young people a choice of locations which best meets their needs such as community centres, general practice and, where appropriate, at home.

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We are Harrow Citizens, a group of volunteers from local Churches, Mosques, Synagogues and schools who have found that the mental health and well being of children and young people is a major concern to people in Harrow. As a result, we are working together to make a positive change! We have compiled this two sided fact sheet of local and national contacts that may be of use to you or someone you may know.

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Expert advice about healthy sleeping for children and young people.

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Sleep for neurodivergent children and young people

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Sleep for neurodivergent children and young people

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Sleep problems can happen to all children, but they're even more common in neurodivergent children and young people. Lack of sleep can have a huge impact on your child or young person's mood, behaviour, and their ability to learn. Explore this topic to find ways you can help your child with sleeping better.

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Things that can affect your child's sleep

Every child and young person is different and have different needs. There are lots of different things that can affect your child or young person's sleep.

Creating a good sleeping space

It's important to create an environment that's good for sleeping in. Cluttered and overstimulating rooms can be hard for children and young people to relax in.

Some ways you can create a good sleeping environment for your child or young person:

Make sure the room is dark enough. If the room is too bright it can be hard to fall asleep. You can buy blackout curtains or blinds to make the room darker. This can be helpful in summer when it's light for longer.

Make sure the room isn't too dark. Some children and young people are scared of the dark or find it hard to sleep in a very dark room. You can use a small nightlight or leave the door ajar.

Avoid having a TV or computer in the bedroom. It's harder to monitor and restrict TV and computer use if your child or young person has a TV or computer in their bedroom.

Make sure comfort items are close. Cuddling a favourite soft toy or blanket can be relaxing and comforting. Try to keep it close to their bed so they can easily cuddle it at night.

Check the room temperature is not too hot or too cold. It's recommended the best temperature is between 16C to 20C.

Make sure your child has a clean, dry bed with suitable bedding. Bedding includes pillows, a duvet and covers. Allowing your child to choose their own bedding may encourage them to sleep in their own room.

Use a heavy or weighted blanket or a compression sheet. If your child or young person feels comforted by deep pressure exercises or wearing heavy clothes, a heavy or weighted blanket or compression sheet may help.

For weighted blankets, we advise that the maximum weight used must be no more than 10% of your child's body weight.

Your child must be supervised while under the weighted blanket and they must be able to remove the weighted blanket or get free from the weighted blanket themselves to avoid overheating. Weighted blankets are a suffocation risk, keep your child's head and neck uncovered. If the weighted blanket is used at night, we recommend that it doesn't hang over the bed sides and that it's removed when your child or young person is asleep.

Adding a night clock can help children know when it is night time and what is expected of them.

Getting ready for sleep

It's important to set up a bedtime routine for your child or young person. Bedtime can be really stressful for neurodivergent children and young people. A bedtime routine will help them understand what is coming up next. This will help them to relax and be ready for sleep.

For some children and young people, having a visual reminder like a timetable can be helpful. It can help them mentally prepare for the upcoming tasks.

Neurodivergent children are more likely to be over sensitive or under sensitive to their senses. Bedtime routines can be stressful for sensitive children as they involve lots of different senses which can be overwhelming and stressful. It can make some tasks like washing or brushing their teeth harder.

You can find lots of different strategies to try with your child or young person to help them with their bedtime routine.

Helping your child to settle at night

For some children, it can be distressing when a parent leaves whilst they are falling asleep. This is more likely if your child has gotten used to you being with them as they fall asleep. It's also more likely for young children and neurodivergent children. They may not understand why things are changing.

Take things at your child's pace. Some parents have found the 'camping out' method helpful. It encourages children to settle themselves with as little distress as possible.

1. Place a chair or mattress next to your child's bed.

2. Gently and quietly stroke or pat them until they fall asleep, and then leave the room.

3. Once your child starts falling asleep like this, slowly reduce the amount you pat or stroke them. This will usually take around 3 days.

4. Every 3 days, try to reduce the amount you pat or stroke your child. This will help your child to get used to fall asleep without patting or stroking.

5. Once your child is able to fall asleep without patting or stroking. Gradually move your chair or mattress further away towards the door. Do this every 3 days.

6. If your child wakes in the night, try to settle them using the approach that you have been using at bedtime.

7. Try to be quiet and avoid eye contact when it's time for your child to sleep or they won't settle. They may think it's a signal for play-time.

Unfortunately, there is no magic solution to help all children settle at night. Sometimes it may take weeks or even months before your child is able to settle themselves to sleep. Do not to feel bad about it. All children are unique. There are other methods out there to try.

Common sleep issues

There are some sleep issues that are more common in neurodivergent children.

Help for parents

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, especially when dealing with a lack of sleep. There is help available for you, and it is important to look after the whole family's health as well as the child's.

Sleep deprivation can have a huge effect on everyone's physical and mental health. Here are some useful strategies you can try.

Sharing night-time duties with a partner, family or friend if they can help.

Resting when you can. Try to sleep when your child sleeps if possible.

Eating well, exercising, and looking after your mental health. Strategies such as mindfulness and meditation can help.

Talking to professionals who can help, such as your child's health visitor, school nurse or a GP.

Online sleep workshops

Teenage sleep workshop

Parent sleep awareness workshop

Last reviewed: 27 November, 2024

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