A safety bed is a soft, flexible, sleep and relaxatFor many families, bedtime can be one of the most challenging parts of the day when caring for a loved one with autism.
Sensory sensitivities, difficulty with transitions, emotional dysregulation and anxiety around sleep can all make settling down challenging.
When you feel at your most tired at the end of the day, decision making can cause even more strain, however the right strategies and environment can make bedtime calmer, more predictable and significantly safer for you and them.
At Safespaces, we explore some practical bedtime approaches which, when combined with specialist solutions such as safety beds, can help create consistent, reassuring sleep environments and supportive safe spaces.
Why is Bedtime so Problematic?
It is very common for someone with autism or sensory sensitivities to have trouble sleeping.
There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from difficulties with relaxing or winding down, impulsive or violent outbursts to stress, overwhelm and irregular melatonin levels.
It is hard for most of us to unwind at the end of a busy day but for children living with neurodiversity or sensory issues, they can become dysregulated and upset which can lead to self-injury. This can be very distressing for the child and the parents.
In addition to this, when the rush and distraction of the day disappear, racing thoughts become more active. Whether that is replaying conversations, planning the next day or focusing intensely on interests and ideas, falling asleep can start to feel impossible, even when the body is physically exhausted.
Anxiety can also play a part. Without the surrounding background hustle and bustle of daylight hours, worries feel louder and more difficult to ignore. For children especially, uncertainty around what comes next or separation at bedtime may also increase stress levels.
A Predictable Routine
Psychologically, a predictable routine provides clear signposting to our brains for what is to come, and this type of routine can be supported verbally and visually.
When you completely remove the anxiety of the unexpected, you immediately create a calmer environment.
When your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to assess potential dangers, because it knows exactly what is coming next, it changes from an active ‘scanning’ brain to a ‘restful’ one.
A calming evening routine might look something like:
- A visual schedule showing each step of bedtime
- A consistent sequence such as bath, story, bed
- Reducing screen time before sleep
- Keeping bedtime and wake time consistent each day
Over time, repetition helps reduce anxiety and signals that sleep is approaching.
A Safety Bed as a Lifechanging Solution
Many families benefit enormously from what is described as a ‘safety bed’ or something described as a ‘special needs bed’.
These autism beds with the condition in mind can help reduce night-time wandering, improve safety and provide a sense of containment that supports relaxation. Children have a space in their safety bed to de-escalate and feel calm or retreat to and call their own.
At Safespaces, we offer a range of adjustable safety beds and special needs beds which are designed to support children, teens and adults with autism, epilepsy, learning disabilities and complex needs – offering transformational support throughout a lifetime.
Key features of safety beds include:
- Enclosed or soft sided designs that help reduce injury risk
- A low stimulation environment to support relaxation
- Options suited for home, educational and clinical settings
- Designs that support sensory regulation and sleep consistency
The Safespaces’ series of safety beds is part of a wider range of adaptive beds, which can be tailored to individual needs from choosing the color and the fabric that the mattress is wrapped in – waterproofing is an option for children who smear or are incontinent. You can even add balls to create a ball pit play space during the day and a projector with sensory images.
These autism beds help families create a consistently safe space where children not only feel secure enough to relax and sleep more peacefully, but also have a space where they can be left without constant nighttime supervision – and in some cases children have been able to stay in the family home without carers 24 hours a day and enjoy far more privacy.
You can explore the range of options special needs beds available here: and watch our Family Stories’ Videos – which discuss how a safety bed has been completely ‘lifechanging’.