You need to know about sensory considerations and your child’s sleep

Part of our work as Baby-Led Sleep & Wellbeing Specialists is to help caregivers to recognise sensory needs in their kiddos, so that we can consider how this affects their days and nights.

Understanding our children’s sensory preferences can help us to tweak their daily rhythms so that their sensory needs are being met in helpful ways. For example, if you have a child who needs vigorous bouncing or rocking to get to sleep, and your back can’t hack it - we can get creative as to how we can meet their sensory needs for vestibular input, outside of sleep time.

But I’m not an expert in sensory things - that’s the job of an Occupational Therapist (OT). So I got my friend, Sarina from Perth Children’s OT to pop in and let us know all about how we can identify our own kiddos’ sensory needs, and help to build it into their day.

You can follow Sarina on Insta @perthchildrensot or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/perthchildrensOT.

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By Sarina Shirazee

Some people naturally need more sensory stimulation, while others need less. I fall into the "less" category. That's because I feel things more than others. For example, I have a low threshold for noise input, so I notice noise more than others (I can’t concentrate in noisy cafes and am frightened by unexpected loud noises). I’m also sensitive to visual input, so I don’t like lights being too bright.

The idea that people are more or less sensitive to visual, auditory, touch, smell, taste and movement input, as well as internal sensations, is part of sensory processing. People who are more sensitive, may take measures to avoid sensory input. People who are less sensitive, may take measures to seek sensory input. This is easy for adults to do. For example, if I'm struggling to concentrate in a noisy cafe, I put my headphones in to screen out the noise. If the sun is too bright, I put my sunglasses on. Adults also develop coping mechanisms for when they experience unwanted sensory input, e.g., when I become frightened by a loud noise, I've learned to take a few deep breaths.

Young children likely haven't developed a sense of what their preferences are, let alone be able to use strategies to accommodate them. This is where caregivers come in. We can look at a child and see what their behaviour is telling us - what kind of input do they seek, and what kind do they avoid? What kind of input do they like, and what kind of input don't they like? What kind of input calms them down, and what kind of input revs them up? Any ways in which a child seeks or avoids input is helping them to achieve a state of optimal arousal - i.e., if they’re moving, it’s because their body needs to move. And what is calming for one kid, may rev another kid up.

We can then use this information to modify daily routines to make a child feel more comfortable and provide them with the sensory input their body needs. The more we can accommodate their needs, the more well-rested and regulated they will feel by the end of the day.

There are 8 sensory systems: tactile (touch), auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), visual (sight), gustatory (taste), vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (information from muscles and joints that tell us what our body is doing and where it is in space) and interoception (our internal sense, e.g., pain, hunger, temperature).

Here are some tips for what you can do during the day if you notice certain sensory preferences in your child, which may help them have a sounder sleep at night.

VISUAL PROCESSING

Oversensitive (needs less visual input to function optimally, so may avoid it): 

What you'll notice:

·       Prefers dim light

·       Easily distracted by sights e.g., the movement of others

·       Frequently squints, rubs eyes, or gets a headache after visually demanding tasks e.g., reading, using a tablet, watching TV

What you can do:

 ·       Provide a hat and sunglasses when in the sun

·       Reduce unnecessary visual stimuli, e.g., remove clutter from desk

·       Provide games with limited moveable parts and bright lights

Undersensitive (needs more visual input to function optimally, so may seek it):

What you'll notice:

·       Attracted to bright lights and screens

·       Prefers clothes with bright colours and patterns

·       Can't find objects that are obvious to others

What you can do:

·       Provide high contrast toys

·       Provide opportunities for visual input when the child isn't required to concentrate on a set task, e.g., colourful books, mazes, glitter wands, going outside, word sleuths

·       When a child is required to focus on a set task, it should be visually attractive (e.g., colourful) but visual input in the child's surroundings should be kept to a minimum (as the child can get distracted by it)

AUDITORY PROCESSING

Oversensitive (needs less auditory input to function optimally, so may avoid it):

 What you might notice:

·       Distressed by everyday sounds, e.g., vacuum cleaners, hand dryers

·       Particularly distressed by unexpected noises

·       Needs instructions to be repeated

·       Complains about noise level in classroom, shops etc

What you can do: 

·       Use headphones

·       Provide warning when you know a loud sound is coming

·       Teach the child calming techniques to help cope with distress, e.g., deep breathing, cuddling a bear, splashing face with cold water

Undersensitive (needs more auditory input to function optimally, so may seek it):

What you might notice: 

·       Oblivious to loud or sudden noises

·       Doesn't respond to name (when you know their hearing is OK)

·       May talk to self or enjoy making strange noises for fun

What you can do:

·       Narrate your day to baby/child

·       Provide games and toys that make lots of noises

·       Singing and music

TACTILE PROCESSING

Oversensitive (needs less tactile input to function optimally, so may avoid it):

What you might notice:

·       Strong reactions to being touched

·       Distress during grooming like hair brushing or nail cutting

·       Doesn't like the feeling of certain textures, e.g., paint, sand, clothes/fabrics, grass, sand

What you can do:

·       Provide touch during daily routines like bath time or nappy changes, naming each body part as you touch them

·       Try exploring textures by playing with different materials, starting with dry and moving to wet (e.g., sand, rice, dried lentils > water, shaving foam, paint), and stop exploration at any sign of stress

·       It's okay if you simply avoid the touch your child doesn't like, e.g., avoid the beach if he/she doesn't like sand

Undersensitive (needs more tactile input to function optimally, so may seek it): 

What you might notice: 

·       Likes to be held a lot

·       Frequently touches people or objects

·       Mouths objects

·       Unaware of mess on hands or face

What you can do:

 ·       Skin-to-skin touch

·       Sensory bins are fun - think rice, lentils, shaving foam, paint, etc that their hands and feet can explore or that they can find objects in

·       Provide fidget toys e.g., stress ball, blu tac, fabric

GUSTATORY & OLFACTORY PROCESSING

Oversensitive (needs less oral input, so may avoid it):

What you might notice:

·       Gags easily from certain food textures or smells

·       Eats only certain tastes (e.g., sweet or salty)

·       May dislike brushing teeth

Undersensitive (needs more oral input, so may seek it):

What you might notice:

·       Craves certain foods or smells

·       Puts objects in mouth

·       May frequently make noises like humming or blowing raspberries

What you can do:

·       Familiar smells like breastmilk or a blanket that smells like parent

·       Chew necklaces and other "chewelry" for seekers

·       Oral toys like blowing bubbles, whistles, pinwheels

VESTIBULAR PROCESSING

Oversensitive (needs less vestibular input to function optimally, so may avoid it):

 What you might notice:

 ·       Shows distress with movement like being picked up or rolling over

·       May dislike tummy time

·       Doesn't like head being upside down, e.g., hanging or tipping head back to wash hair

·       Avoids movement like swings, slides or spinning equipment

What you can do:

 ·     Gentle rocking in your arms

·       Encourage activities that the child can ‘self-direct’

·       Start small, e.g., low playground equipment, sitting on a swing without swinging

·       Let them be dependent on you until they are ready to be independent - e.g., holding your hand whilst balancing, jumping slowly on the trampoline with you

Undersensitive (needs more vestibular input to function optimally, so may seek it): 

What you might notice:

·       Constantly moving or "on-the-go"

·       Appears to enjoy falling

·       Difficulty sitting still (compared to same-aged peers)

·       Takes physical risks that other peers wouldn't

What you can do: 

·       Rocking in your arms

·       Bouncing (in your arms for little ones) or tummy time over a fit ball

·       Playing aeroplanes

·       Encourage frequent changes of position

·       Provide movement breaks throughout the day, e.g., running, riding a bike, dancing, swinging, climbing

PROPRIOCEPTION  

Undersensitive (needs more proprioceptive input to function optimally, so may seek it):

What you'll notice:

·       Bumps into things

·       Craves tight hugs

·       Likes to sleep with lots of blankets

·       Enjoys roughhouse play

What you can do:

·       Wrap them up in a towel and rub firmly after a bath/shower

·       Massage before bed

·       Squish child gently under pillows (with head uncovered)

·       “Steamroller" (lie your child on their stomach and roll a fit ball over them)

·       “Heavy work” activities, e.g., wheelbarrows walks, animal walks, pushing, pulling, carrying heavy items

·       Use weighted items like vests and blankets with caution; these should be prescribed by an OT

INTEROCEPTION

Undersensitive (needs more interoceptive input to function optimally):

 What you’ll notice:

·       May not be able to detect internal sensations such as when they need to go to the toilet or feelings of hunger

·       High threshold for pain

·       Difficulty detecting signs of emotional dysregulation (e.g. fast heartbeat, fast breathing)

Oversensitive (needs less interoceptive input to function optimally):

What you’ll notice:

·       Finds internal sensations like hunger or needing to go to the toilet highly distracting or painful; may overeat or go to the toilet frequently

·       Extreme emotional responses

What you can do:

·       Mindfulness and meditation activities

·       Vestibular and proprioception activities

·       Label and discuss feelings and emotions

So as you can see- knowing and understanding your kiddo’s sensory preferences (and even your own) can be a bit of a superpower. Reflect on where you and your family sit on the spectrum of sensory considerations, and play around with some of these ideas - the outcome might be easier to settle for sleep!

For more handy guidance on navigating your baby’s sleep, check out my Sleep Guide.