[Source:  Friendship Circle]

A sensory-friendly bedroom has only one purpose: to create an environment that maximizes the possibility for a long night of restful sleep.

Insomnia, night-waking and other sleep disturbances are frequent complaints of people with neurological differences, anxiety disorders, thyroid conditions, respiratory problems and digestive disorders.  The good news is that modifying the sleep environment can help increase the length and quality of sleep in many cases.

My family has tried many different modifications over the years, and will probably try several more in the years to come, because we haven’t used up all of our tricks yet!  Here is our working list for an ideal sensory bedroom, with elements from our past, present and future dreams of a good night’s sleep.

Color
Medical research has consistently demonstrated that darkened rooms allow for deeper sleep than lighter rooms.  When my family moved to a new home, one of the bedrooms was painted a rich burgundy color that looked black at night.  The first night in that bedroom was the first time my younger son slept through the night, and his quality of sleep continued to improve in the weeks and months that followed.

Choosing a dark color for bedroom walls does not necessarily mean choosing black or gray.  Royal blue, emerald green, purple and crimson will all be very dark at night, especially if the ceiling is painted a dark color, too.  But those colors will also be cheerful in the daylight.

Light
Once we had walls that absorbed light instead of reflecting it, we worked on blocking out other light sources.  Less light means less night-waking.  Here are some recommendations for minimizing light in the bedroom.

Once we had walls that absorbed light instead of reflecting it, we worked on blocking out other light sources.  Less light means less night-waking.  Here are some recommendations for minimizing light in the bedroom.

• Blackout shades with dark-colored curtain on top to block the light that comes in around the edges of the shades.
• No night light, or turn off the night light after 1 hour
• Turn the digital clock to face the wall
• No electronic devices in the bedroom after dark
• To move around during the night use a flashlight, switch on a night light or use a battery-powered “touch light” that mounts on the wall and uses a 3 watt bulb – do not use the overhead lights or a 60 watt lamp, because that will signal the human body to wake up!
• Light is also needed to help wake us up at the right time – a sunrise alarm clock mimics the sunrise by brightening gradually at a pre-set time for a gentle awakening.

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