15: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 1515: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 15
UK Health Radio Podcast
Host Susanna Peace Lavelle and co-host Jessica Patay talk with sleep psychologist Dr. Melissa Moore about why neurodivergent kids often struggle with sleep and what parents can realistically do. The conversation blends Dr. Moore’s professional expertise and personal parenting experiences with practical, science-based strategies and kinder self-talk for exhausted caregivers.
48:26•29 Apr 2026
Making Sleep Kinder for Neurodivergent Kids: Practical Help for Exhausted Parents
Episode Overview
- Sleep struggles in neurodivergent kids are linked to biology, development and co-occurring conditions, not bad parenting.
- A consistent bedtime and simple bedtime routine, even a few nights a week, can meaningfully support better sleep.
- Night wakings are closely tied to how a child falls asleep at bedtime, so the same sleep environment should be available all night.
- For older kids and teens, long naps and sleeping in too late at weekends can reduce sleep pressure and make falling asleep harder.
- Shifting language to “waiting for sleep”, using calming mantras and gentle mental distractions can ease sleep anxiety for both parents and children.
“There are so many reasons that neurodiverse people have a harder time with sleep, and very few of those reasons, none of those reasons, have to do with bad parenting.”
Curious about how others manage sleep struggles alongside caring for neurodivergent children? This Brave Together episode on UK Health Radio brings together host Susanna Peace Lavelle, co-host Jessica Patay and sleep psychologist Dr. Melissa Moore for a practical, reassuring chat about why sleep can be such a minefield for neurodivergent kids and their parents. Right from the start, Dr.
Moore clears a big weight off many shoulders: “Very few of those reasons, none of those reasons, have to do with bad parenting or a mistake that you made.” She explains how ADHD, autism and co-occurring issues like anxiety, depression or pain can disrupt circadian rhythms, make it harder to wind down, and cause restless sleep or very early wake-ups. You’ll hear personal stories from Dr. Moore about her own autistic and ADHD son, including 4 a.m.
wake-up stretches and the way a simple toy car or a new special interest in space can derail sleep for days. Those anecdotes feed into concrete strategies: focus on a realistic bedtime and simple routine, accept that “perfect” is optional, and let your family’s real life shape the plan.
Parents get clear guidance on when to seek professional help (think snoring, gasping, confusing night wakings), how bedtime routines work like “slowing down before the stop sign” for the brain, and why naps and long weekend lie-ins can sabotage sleep pressure for older kids and teens. There’s a refreshingly honest take on screens too – not all evening screen use is automatically disastrous, especially if it actually helps a highly anxious child calm enough to get into bed. Dr.
Moore also shares mindset tools, from shifting to the phrase “wait for sleep” to using gentle mantras and small, engaging distractions like mental games. The message is calm and compassionate: sleep problems are hard, you’re not failing, and small tweaks can make nights kinder for everyone. Which of these ideas could make tonight just a little easier for your family?
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