Dyslexia and Sleep: Understanding the Connection and Helping Your Child Rest Better

Why Sleep Matters for Children with Dyslexia

Sleep plays a vital role in every child’s development, but for children with dyslexia, it can be even more important. Good-quality sleep helps consolidate memory, regulate emotions, and restore energy — all of which support learning and resilience.

Research has shown that children with dyslexia are more likely to experience sleep disturbances compared to their peers. Difficulties falling asleep, waking up during the night, and feeling excessively tired during the day are common challenges. Unfortunately, poor sleep can worsen difficulties with attention, memory, and emotional regulation — areas that children with dyslexia may already find challenging.

How Dyslexia Affects Sleep

Several studies highlight the link between dyslexia and disrupted sleep. Some key findings include:

  • Delayed sleep onset – children often take longer to fall asleep.

  • Night waking – they may experience restless sleep or wake frequently.

  • Sleep anxiety – worries about school or bedtime itself can keep the mind racing.

  • Daytime sleepiness – poor sleep quality leads to fatigue, reduced concentration, and irritability.

  • Sleep-disordered breathing – research shows higher rates of disrupted breathing and arousal disorders in children with dyslexia.

These challenges can create a cycle: anxiety delays sleep → poor sleep worsens anxiety and concentration → increased school stress → more bedtime worries.

Signs to Watch For

You as a parent or carer may notice:

  • Complaints of feeling “always tired”

  • Trouble getting up in the morning

  • Mood swings or irritability

  • Restlessness at night

  • Avoidance of reading at bedtime due to frustration

If these symptoms are frequent, it may be worth exploring sleep-focused strategies.

Practical Sleep Tips for Children with Dyslexia

1. Establish a Predictable Routine

Consistency is comforting. Create a bedtime routine that follows the same pattern every night (e.g., bath → story → pillow spray → calming sound → lights out). Visual bedtime charts can help reinforce the steps. If your child is too old for a bedtime routine, ask them to create that themselves, and if you can help them with some parts of it.... 

2. Reduce Sleep Anxiety

Introduce calming rituals like deep breathing, gentle stretches, or listening to a soothing story. A weighted blanket or one of our pillow sprays can provide comforting sensory cues.

3. Use Calming Sounds

Pink noise (rainfall, rustling leaves), soft music, or gentle white noise can mask disruptions and help children or teens drift off. Test different options to see which your child prefers. Ask them, get them involved, let them choose. 

4. Support Emotional Wellbeing Earlier in the Evening

Offer time to share worries or journal before bed. Reading aloud together (instead of independent reading) can reduce stress while still building literacy skills.

5. Create a Sensory-Friendly Sleep Environment

Dark, cool, and clutter-free bedrooms support rest. Blackout curtains may help, and familiar, calming objects can provide extra comfort.

6. Encourage Healthy Daytime Habits

Daily exercise, fresh air, and balanced meals support deeper sleep. Limit sugar or caffeine before bed. Morning daylight exposure also helps regulate the body clock.

7. Seek Professional Advice if Needed

If your child frequently wakes up at night, snores heavily, or struggles with severe insomnia, speak to your GP. Sometimes underlying sleep disorders (like sleep-disordered breathing) may need specialist support.

Final Thoughts

For children with dyslexia, sleep is not just about rest — it’s about building the foundation for learning, resilience, and emotional balance. By creating a structured, calming bedtime routine, including one of our gorgeous magical pillow sprays, and tailoring sleep environments to your child’s needs, you can help break the cycle of anxiety and poor sleep.

When children with dyslexia sleep well, they cope well — and that can make all the difference in both school and daily life.