“I did it, he slept all night”

Bree has been home sick a lot lately one day a few weeks ago she happened to be home during one of Joey’s Occupational Therapy (OT)sessions.

During this session I had to sit with Joey and the therapist for the full hour I gave Bree her iPad and asked her to hang out in her room until the end of therapy. 

During the session, I was talking with Joey’s OT about the constant difficulty he has staying asleep. He has never been a good sleeper, but the transition from a crib to a twin bed has set us way back.

I had been paying more attention to his sleeping habits  desperately trying to figure out why he won’t stay asleep for more than an hour or two at a time.

 One night he woke up around 2am and just couldn’t stay still he was tossing and turning all over our bed. I brought him into the living and I watched him rolling, flopping, crashing all around. He was half asleep while all this was going on and you could feel the frustration he was feeling not being able to get comfortable. I got his weighted blanket and held him on the couch the rest of the night. 

 After I explained to the OT this was a pretty typical night she went and took a look at his bed. She suggested we put a pillow in the middle of the bed making his bed feel smaller then rolling a blanket in front of the pillow to give him something to push off of so, he would be more aware of his body while getting the input he needed to hopefully sleep. 

Our OT was finishing up her session notes and Bree called me into the boys room she had set up the bed the exact way the therapist had recommended. Bree even used her own frozen theme body pillow we had sewn together a few weeks prior.. 

Bree said she could hear us talking and  wanted to help Joey sleep better at night and if he liked her pillow he could have it or we could sew him his own maybe in a Mickey or Jake fabric. 

 I’m so proud of Bree she been through a lot lately and I love that even though she was home sick she wanted to help make Joey more comfortable.

Believe it or not he actually slept through the night that night and most of the nights since. 

Having two brothers on the spectrum is not easy especially for a seven year old and she is always looking for ways to help. The next morning she asked if Joey slept and when I said he did she yelled “I did it, he slept!” 

It was very helpful he actually slept because it gave her proof what she did helped and a real self of accomplishment. 



I think it’s time we sew him his own pillow!