At Aspace we are passionate about interior design and creating spaces that resonate with our children’s personalities.
To support National Autism Awareness Month, we got in touch with Ann from Rainbows Are Too Beautiful – a blog that shares stories and information from a mum raising three autistic and neuro-typical children – to discuss how best to decorate a bedroom for a child with autism.
None of our children sleep great. Estimates say between 50% and 90% of autistic people have some sleeping difficulties, whether that’s going to sleep, staying asleep or sleeping at the wrong time. Kids can also use their bedrooms as somewhere to retreat to so there’s lots to think about when designing and decorating a bedroom.
Over the years we’ve seen a few specialists and received lots of advice for our boys who have ASD and ADHD and know that a good bedtime routine is essential for them. But, thinking about this issue when it comes to decorating or designing their room can have a big impact and help them feel calm, safe and ready for sleep.

Lighting
Possibly one of the easiest things to adjust in a room is the lighting. Our bodies are meant to sleep when it’s dark and be awake when it’s light. Naturally, a person’s body’s level of melatonin is triggered by darkness so you feel less alert and sleep becomes more inviting. Simply put, my autistic kids fall to sleep better in a room that is mostly dark.
So, no lamps on in the room, no light on in the hall. In the summer we have dark, thick curtains to keep out the evening light or black out blinds. We use nightlights but only ones that are naturally very dim so if the kids need to get up during the night they can do it safely. We’ve found using mains powered ones the best because they don’t run out half way through the night. An autistic child will expect the bedroom to look the same when they wake up in the night as when they went to sleep – this includes the light.
The bed
All kids want to be comfortable when they are sleeping. We have Jane on a firm mattress – she’s only six years old and her body still needs firm support to sleep and grow well.
Our boys though are older and Anthony has been in a full-length bed for quite a few years. Like many kids, especially those with autism or ADHD, Anthony moves around a lot in bed wriggling, laying in odd positions and jumping too. So, his bed has got to be solid, stable and well put together.
Some kids may feel safer with a canopy or a bed tent can be good too, especially if you think they might pull a canopy off the ceiling.