mattresses for SN kid who has trouble sleeping

[Fay]

My DS1 has always had difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep.  Over the years we've found lots of sensory-integration strategies to help him, such as using a weighted blanket.  About 5 years ago we got him a twin size firm Beautyrest mattress, which doesn't jiggle when he rolls around and gives him calming sensory feedback.  That mattress made it possible for him to fall asleep by himself in his own room...a miracle.  Now that he is bigger and growing rapidly, we want to get him a full-size mattress.  We were originally shopping for another Beautyrest, but got distracted by the Tempurpedic foam mattresses.  Those jiggle even less than the Beautyrest mattresses, and seem to prevent tossing and turning much better.  And it is great for proprioceptive sensory input. Plus it comes with a 20 year warranty and 3 month free trial.  But it costs about twice as much.

What type of mattress does your SN child have?  What type do you wish your child had?  Should we spring for the foam mattress in the hope that it will help DS1 sleep better?

[APToddlerMama]

I have a 3 year old with SN who was/sometimes still is a horrible sleeper.  A few months ago we did a ton of research and put him and ourselves on organic cotton mattresses with latex toppers.  Those memory foam mattresses have soooooo many chemicals in them that can really affect people negatively and I would never buy one.  For what its worth, I am not all that crunchy, but when I started researching mattresses I was really stunned by the major overuse of flame retardants and chemicals in mattresses and the neurological impact as well as impact on general health.  The mattresses can be pricey.  Our organic cotton ones were from White Lotus which frequently has sales of around 30% off.  They are super hard though and DS didn't sleep well on it until we put a box spring under it.  For ours, we added a latex topper (also expensive, but imo, worth it since we spend so much of our lives on a mattress) and DS also sleeps with us several nights a week and sleeps well on latex.  The latex is good because it is supposed to minimize the movement of other bodies in bed. 

[beachcomber]

I'm hoping that lots of discussion pops up here. My 5 year old DD hasn't slept a whole night in her own bed. Ever.

[Fay]

I don't think this thread is going to get much traffic.  What are your dd's specific sleep issues?  Falling asleep, staying asleep, anxiety about sleeping, all of the above & more?

For falling asleep, your best bet is to stimulate natural melatonin production by getting her outside for 10 minutes at 8 am, high noon and twilight.  I found that twilight walks really get my kids nice and drowsy.  Also, do not use electric lighting indoors in the evening, and turn off bright screens on the TV or computer.  The darker the home is, the sleepier we get.

Staying asleep is a separate issue.  My DS2 sleeps much more soundly on his tummy.  My DS1 does better with a weighted blanket (8 pound blanket, he's about 85 pounds) and with an air cleaner turned on for white noise.  If you can encourage pooping before bedtime, that really helps, too.  I often give DS1 a digestive enzyme after dinner so that his stomach is settled at bedtime.  We also have to manage bedroom temperature, because my kids wake up if it's too hot or cold, too humid or too dry.  Basically, you have to consider the sensory environment from every possible angle.

For nighttime anxiety, you have to create a secure emotional environment for sleep.  I talk to the kids about feeling soft and quiet in all the parts of their bodies.  They are allowed to have whatever "lovies" they need to fall asleep, even if I'm one of the lovies.  My DS1 just has 2 stuffed animals that he keeps in bed now. I explain exactly what they can expect when they wake up in the morning.  I say as many bedtime prayers as they want, using a gentle voice and blessing them in every possible way so that they can feel inner peace.

[Thing1Thing2]

This is a great thread. I second the poster who mentioned the chemicals in a the foam type mattresses. I would say that your child will get the best sleep with the least chemically irritating mattresses. Thanks for the info about increasing natural melatonin. I have a restless sleeper who wakes up crying 4-5 times a night.

[blopez5293]

My DD suffers from sleep issues as well.  She is on a regular twin mattress but I am on a queen size pillow top mattress with a 4 inch memory foam topper.  She unequivocally sleeps better on the memory foam than she does on her "traditional mattress".  Also it is a lot cheaper to buy the topper than an entire mattress.  You can get ones as much as 8 inches thick for a decent amount.  Try http://www.Overstock.Com/ they have great sales there.  She falls asleep faster, doesn't flop around as much, no longer falls out of bed as often (from rolling), is easier to get up in the morning without being cranky from the start of the day, and is in a much better mood throughout the day.  I would suggest buying one from Walmart and if it works then trying to get a bigger one by returning the thin one they sell there.  Good luck and God Bless.

[StephandOwen]

This will probably be unpopular, and not exactly what you were looking for, but it might help someone. (My ds has autism and sensory issues)

My ds had never slept a full night at 6 1/2 years old. Over the years he had seen an ENT a few times who mentioned his tonsils and adenoids were enlarged. Every single time he went to any doctor (whether he was sick or well) they mentioned his enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Finally, at 6 1/2 years old, he was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. We gave in and had his tonsils and adenoids removed. It was, hands down, the best thing we've done for him to this day. It's been 1 year since we had them removed and he's slept the entire night almost every single night (only waking up on nights that he's ill). We could not believe the almost immediate change. Once he recovered from the surgery he started sleeping through the night and never looked back. I know most mamas here are against surgery, and I was too, but I don't regret it for a moment (even though he did have some complications, because of his autism, that landed him in the hospital for an extra 3 days).

As for mattresses- we also got ds a new mattress but I can't remember what it is. It's comfy enough for me to sleep on it when needed. LOL! We got a new tempurpedic for the master bedroom and ds sleeps on that one sometimes too. He sleeps on both of them equally well.

[RiverTam]

Fay,

Sam's Club has foam mattresses that are pretty cheap.  We have two of these beds in our house. I sleep on one and I love it. It was a little stiff when I got it, but it softened up and now it's exactly the right combination of firmness and give.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod720803&navAction=

[Fay]

Here's our update:

We got a natural (but not organic) latex mattress from IKEA for DS1.  After a few weeks of adjustment, he is sleeping comfortably for about 10 hours on most nights!  Today I took a nap on his bed with the weighted blanket, and the combo of latex mattress + weighted blanket is very conducive to restful sleep -- I highly recommend it.  We got the "Sultan Erfjord" mattress for DS1, which is softer than the "Sultan Elsfjord" that I sleep on at night.  DH wants to ditch our Elsfjord mattress now and upgrade to the Erfjord.  

BTW, all IKEA mattresses including their memory foam conform to EU safety requirements, so they don't use the most controversial flame retardant that was banned in Europe.