When I arrived at Fela’s just before 21:15, he was quietly soaking in the bath. After a brief handover with Dan and Emma T, I cleaned his back and underarms and offered him his face scrub. Fela was prompted out the bath at 21:40, had a pee, did his routine well and was in bed by 22:10.
Because it was so warm, I decided to remove Fela’s duvet and left the weighted blanket in the duvet cover fastened. I massaged Fela with his sleep oil for about five minutes – chest, lower back, forehead, behind ears, inner arms. He said his bedtime prayer, then I kissed him goodnight. The new copy of ‘The Nature and Music 1: Music in the Woods’ CD was left on volume 8, and the fan was left on at an angle turned slightly away from his bed so it was not directly on him as it could cause a chill in the night.
I next heard Fela at 2:10. I asked him if he wanted the duvet back in, and he said yes; I decided to remove the weighted blanket as having both in would be too hot. I went up to him three times between then and 5:40 when he finally fell asleep after I decided to try the HANDLE peacemaker massage on him using the hard yellow spikey ball (left in the table in his bedroom): arms, back, legs as he lay flat on his belly with head on his pillow.
I decided to let Fela sleep on after 7:00 because he was sleeping so soundly and had been up for 3 and a half hours. Also, I could tell that the pollen was not affecting me so I felt Fela would cope with having his supplements later. I set my alarm for 8:30 but slept through my alarm and woke just after. Fela appeared to be still asleep but he must have heard me when I flushed the toilet as I then heard him at 8:40. I took his waking supplements, drinks and plum up to him immediately as he became quite vocal.
Dan arrived, I gave him a quick handover and he went up to Fela to continue his morning routine whilst I cleaned the bathroom.
The following are some helpful insights I have gained whilst on the sleep shift:
- the fan must be kept on the lowest setting as it doesn’t make as much noise.
- If his room is very warm, the weighted blanket might be too heavy, and it leaves his lower body without weight so he may not settle well after waking. It might be better to leave the duvet in and remove the weighted blanket as leaving both in would be too much weight and heat.
- Fela has a tendency to sleep on his hands as they are cupped together, and he likes to push the pillow up against the headboard. Both habits may be causing neck strain. Try prompting him to rest his head on the pillow and he can cup his hands together underneath the pillow or next to the pillow. alternatively, you can prompt him to lie on his belly with his arms on either side of him, his face turned to one side flat on one pillow.
- Fela’s nature sounds CDs are to be played at volume 7/8 and left on ‘Repeat All’ so that the whole CD is played repeatedly throughout the night.
*New copies of the CDs ‘Nature and Music I: Music in the Woods’ and ‘Nature IV: A Walk Through the Sound of Nature’ have been left in and by his CD player. Michael removed the 6th track ‘Thunder and Rain’ from CD IV as he felt it was too noisy.
Arousal States – Start: 1 Baseline End: 2a – Vocal Did his state change? Yes to 2a – Vocal Fela woke at 2:10 and was vocal on and off until he slept at 5:40. Did he have a bowel movement? Yes Bristol score: Was Fela incontinent?: No Did he have vigorous exercise?: –
