The Sensory Sleep Course: A Holistic Approach to Improving Children’s Sleep

Original Price:   Current Price: $99.00
0.45 AOTA CEUs

Help children fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more rested! Learn how sensory needs, daytime habits, and bedtime routines can affect sleep, and how to create a personalized, sensory-friendly sleep plan. Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, you'll gain the knowledge and confidence to ease bedtime struggles, support better sleep, and help make nights (and mornings!) easier for the whole family.

Thinkific The Sensory Sleep Course - AOTA

The Sensory Sleep Course: A Holistic Approach to Improving Children’s Sleep

Original Price:   Current Price: $99.00
0.45 AOTA CEUs

Help children fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more rested! Learn how sensory needs, daytime habits, and bedtime routines can affect sleep, and how to create a personalized, sensory-friendly sleep plan. Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, you'll gain the knowledge and confidence to ease bedtime struggles, support better sleep, and help make nights (and mornings!) easier for the whole family.

Help children fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more rested! Learn how sensory needs, daytime habits, and bedtime routines can affect sleep, and how to create a personalized, sensory-friendly sleep plan. Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, you'll gain the knowledge and confidence to ease bedtime struggles, support better sleep, and help make nights (and mornings!) easier for the whole family.

AOTA CEU Approved Provider

Select Course Level

2 Course Levels Taught By

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants with advanced training in Primitive Reflex Integration and Sensory Processing

.45 AOTA CEUs

AOTA CEUs

$99.00

Provides continuing education hours approved by AOTA for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants

  • 7 Module training of 4.5 hours of video lessons
  • 30+ Instructional digital PDFs included
  • Comprehensive overview of strategies to support sleep and for sleep improvements
  • Learning how to create a personalized sensory-friendly bedtime routine
  • Suggestions for ruling out sleep disordered breathing and other medical challenges contributing to poor sleep
  • Includes sensory diets, checklists, and activity ideas to make the bedtime routine easier and more effective
  • Understanding the importance of emotional regulation for bedtime and tips to tackle big emotions
  • Expert-led discussion on the use of safety beds
  • Pre-made, ready to use checklists, visual charts, and sensory diets
  • Product recommendations for promoting sleep from sun up to sun down

Approved for .45 AOTA CEUs or 4.5 Contact Hours

Parent

$79.00

Designed for parents, educators and therapists looking to support your child or client’s sleep from a sensory and holistic perspective. This course walks you through hands-on strategies that will make sleep smoother for sensory kids!

  • 7 Module training of 4.5 hours of video lessons
  • 30+ Instructional digital PDFs included
  • Comprehensive overview of strategies to support sleep and for sleep improvements
  • Learning how to create a personalized sensory-friendly bedtime routine
  • Suggestions for ruling out sleep disordered breathing and other medical challenges contributing to poor sleep
  • Includes sensory diets, checklists, and activity ideas to make the bedtime routine easier and more effective
  • Understanding the importance of emotional regulation for bedtime and tips to tackle big emotions
  • Expert-led discussion on the use of safety beds
  • Pre-made, ready to use checklists, visual charts, and sensory diets
  • Product recommendations for promoting sleep from sun up to sun down

Approved for .45 AOTA CEUs or 4.5 Contact Hours
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As Seen In

The New York Times
ParentMap
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C-net

Does your client or child struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep?

About 43% of school age children experience disruptions in sleep

You’re not alone. Sleep challenges are one of the most common concerns families bring to occupational therapists, and research shows that up to 80% of children with sensory needs experience significant sleep difficulties.

As a parent or practitioner, you see firsthand how poor sleep impacts every area of life — from behavior and emotional regulation to attention, learning, and family well-being. Yet, many traditional sleep strategies don’t take into account the sensory processing differences that make it harder for children to settle and stay asleep.

How do sensory strategies during the day improve sleep at night?

Sleep doesn’t just start at bedtime, it’s built throughout the day!

A child’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep is directly influenced by how regulated their sensory system is during waking hours. When children experience too much stimulation, or not enough of the right kind, their nervous systems stay “on high alert,” making it difficult to wind down at night.

By weaving in intentional sensory strategies during the day, you can help children:

  • Achieve better regulation throughout daily routines.
  • Reduce anxiety, restlessness, and bedtime resistance.
  • Support natural circadian rhythms for more consistent sleep patterns.

What You'll Get

Self-Paced Video

You'll have instant access to hours of video lessons taught by Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Downloadable Handouts and Guides

We include PDFs for activities, templates, and more to make implementing what you learn in this course even easier!

Lifetime Access

You will get lifetime access to this course! So you can revisit the lessons as much as you need while implementing what you learn into real-life results for your child or clients!

Your child or client may be struggling to get enough quality sleep if they show challenges with:

Irritability and mood swings

Headaches

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Daytime sleepiness

Concentration and learning problems

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

State three evidence-based occupational therapy interventions that support improved sleep quality in pediatric populations.

Identify the role of occupational therapy in collaborating with families and interdisciplinary teams (e.g., pediatricians, sleep specialists) to support sustainable sleep interventions for children.

Identify appropriate assessment tools and outcome measures for sleep-related occupational performance.

List three sensory strategies that parents can implement during the bedtime routine to promote a more organized nervous system, that will in turn improve sleep hygiene.

State two interventions to implement with a child who displays self-limiting behaviors in bed, i.e. head banging, pinching, biting.

Course Outline

This digital course is a 7 module training with 4.5 hours of video, and 4.5 contact hours / .45 AOTA CEUs, that walk you through step by step strategies for improving sleep and quality of life in children ages 2 and up.

  • Module 1 Understanding Sleep in Children

    Gain a deep understanding of how sleep works. In this module, you’ll explore the science of sleep, common sleep challenges in children (including those with sensory needs), and how poor sleep impacts behavior, learning, and family life.

  • Module 2 Medical and Physical Considerations

    Before addressing sensory strategies, it’s important to recognize when medical or physical factors may be affecting sleep. This module covers common medical conditions, red flags to watch for, and when to refer families to other professionals for additional support.

  • Module 3 Daily Habits That Promote Better Sleep

    Sleep success starts long before bedtime. Discover how daytime routines, including nutrition, movement, and sensory input, shape a child’s ability to rest at night. You’ll learn practical ways to help families build healthy daily rhythms that support more restorative sleep.

  • Module 4 Creating a Personalized Sensory-Friendly Bedtime Routine

    Every child is unique, which is why bedtime routines should be too. This module walks you through how to design individualized, sensory-friendly bedtime routines that help children transition calmly to sleep. You’ll explore sensory activities, environment setup, and ways to reduce bedtime battles.

  • Module 5 Emotional Supports

    Sleep challenges often bring stress, frustration, and anxiety, for both children and parents. In this module, you’ll learn strategies to support emotional regulation at bedtime, build resilience, and empower families with tools to approach sleep struggles with confidence and compassion.

  • Module 6 Products and Tools to Support Sleep

    From weighted blankets to white noise machines, there are countless products marketed for better sleep. This module helps you cut through the noise by reviewing evidence-based tools, sensory supports, safety beds and environmental adjustments that truly make a difference.

  • Module 7 Putting It All Together

    Bring your knowledge full circle. This module guides you in integrating medical awareness, daily habits, sensory strategies, emotional supports, and tools into a comprehensive plan. You’ll learn how to tailor recommendations to each child and family for lasting impact.

  • Bonus! Resources and Research

    Wrap up the course with a curated library of resources, references, and research studies you can use in your practice. These materials will help you stay current, support your clinical decision-making, and share evidence-based information with families.

Meet Your Instructors

Rachel Harrington

COTA/L, CPRCS

Rachel is a Pediatric Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant who is dedicated to helping children with different abilities feel confident in their own skin. She holds her Autism Certificate, and is continuing her education in Handwriting Without Tears, Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, and more! Rachel lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, two young children, and dog, and can be found outside hiking, playing games, and not taking life too seriously!

Jessica Hill

COTA/L, CPRCS

Jessica is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant who specializes in Pediatrics. She is passionate about helping children become healthy, happy, and confident members of society. She has training and experience in Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, feeding, and parent training. Jessica and her son live in Boise, Idaho with their two crazy cats and enjoy hiking, swimming, and traveling!

Frequently Asked Questions

This is an optional description that can elaborate on the questions that are being asked.

  • How is this course administered?

    This course is administered via online videos and worksheet downloads that you be able to access through learn.harkla.co once you have purchased!

  • What is the refund policy for this course?

    Like all Harkla products, this falls under our lifetime guarantee. This basically means that if at any time you aren’t satisfied with the course, we’ll refund you right away.

  • Will I have access to the instructors for the course?

    We offer the ability to book a time slot with the instructors for an extra fee, but you are able to comment within courses and get answers to those comments as you go from the instructors.

    We also are very responsive on customer support and social media to connect with our community.

  • Is this course beneficial for children without learning disabilities?

    Yes, without a doubt! Everyone has a sensory system and sensory preferences whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. Every child can benefit from the sensory activities, tools, and strategies provided in this course in order to improve their overall sleep quality!

  • Can parents take this course?

    Absolutely! The ‘Master Level’ Option will be best for you if you’re a parent. Although this course was designed with therapists in mind, the program is so beneficial for parents to implement at home with their child(ren) as well, especially if you have a child struggling with attention and focus challenges specifically.

  • Is this course research-based?

    Yes! We include the evidence-based articles we used to create this course, as well as the research we use as pediatric occupational therapy assistants that support our treatment interventions. You can find the resources and references in the last module of this course.

  • What Ages Is This Course Designed For?

    The Early Intervention Blueprint is designed for children ages birth to 3 years old. This course focuses on infancy, babyhood and early toddlerhood.

  • How do I get my certification for CEUs?

    In order to earn your AOTA CEU certificate you must complete the course evaluation and pass the post-test with 80% accuracy. Then you'll be able to download and print your certificate for continuing education!

  • Is there a payment plan for the course?

    Yes! If you select Shop Pay or PayPal while checking out, you will have the option to select a pay over time plan. If you need any help with this, please reach out to us: support@harkla.co

Harkla Gives Back

Game Changers Idaho

We donate 1% of every sale to Game Changers Idaho to provide year-round inclusive sports leagues to give children of all abilities the opportunity to learn, grow & create friendships through sports.

Our Mission
Our Mission

Help those with special needs live happy and healthy lives.

At Harkla, we believe you already have enough on your plate. That’s why we’re here to help you with sensory needs, sleep improvement, and focus in the classroom through our products, courses and community.

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