Sleep, or the lack there-of has been a recurring theme over the years.  Josiah has notoriously thrived on minimal amounts of sleep for as long as I can remember.  Even when we were able to grab some rest after he nodded off at night, it was always more of a nap than a full night of slumber for any of us. Josiah would wake after 3-4 hours, ready to start his happy day, full of energy…very LOUD energy.

Rick and I took turns staying up with the boy. Sometimes it included late night drives to help calm him. Other times it involved doing our best to keep him as quiet as possible while letting him jump, jump, jump on his trampoline. We tried whatever we could think of to lull him back to sleep, rarely with success.

As Josiah’s insomnia raged on, we attempted several sleep solutions.

It started with Melatonin which worked initially, but wasn’t the fix we were seeking. So we moved on to Skweezer sheets, weighted blankets, long, warm baths with lavender lotion rubbed on his skin to calm and relax him, lullabyes, classical music and white noise. We experimented with the ceiling fan and lights turned on, then off. We tried wearing him out just before bed with walks around the block or extra jumping on the trampoline. We used a brushing and joint compression protocol, weighted stuffed animals and even stood vigil just outside his door to redirect him back to bed each and every time he got out.

Josiah had not 1, but 2 different tent beds, neither of which lasted very long.  Then there was the 2 man tent on his bedroom floor with a twin mattress and Josiah zipped up inside.  It didn’t survive the night.  We bought mesh fabric, sewed extra strong trim around the edges and staple gunned it to 3 sides of his wooden bed, pushing the open edge against the wall, to create a DIY ‘enclosed’ bed.

You name it, we’ve tried it. Some things helped initially but nothing worked for long.

Until NOW!

I am elated to share with you the answer to our prayers.  Here is the solution we had been seeking all along which took almost an entire year to receive and has made all the difference in the world for our family.

The one thing that has afforded Josiah the opportunity to sleep through the night and given us all a better quality of life is a Sleep Safe Bed.

Notice a few things about this miracle invention.  It is completely padded inside, thereby preventing injury should Josiah choose to bang his head (something he did frequently months ago). There are windows and screens, to allow for air flow and visibility.  There is a screened extension added to the top of the bed to prevent escape. Most importantly, there is a sleeping teenager inside.

Josiah is SLEEPING.  My friends, those words brings tears to my eyes as I type them.

What you can’t see is this bed has a water proof, memory foam mattress, making cleanups a breeze.

Truly, this bed has been a tremendous blessing and nothing short of a gift straight from the hands of God.  It has transformed our lives.  Josiah loves his new bed.

Here’s more great information: In most cases, when the bed is either prescribed by a physician or justified as Medically Necessary, health insurance can cover the bed as Durable Medical Equipment.

But here’s the best part.  The company that makes these incredible beds is giving one away, totally FREE, each quarter. http://sleepsafebed.com/giveaway/  I just discovered this a few minutes ago as I was checking their site for more information about the beds. How’s that for divine intervention?

If you know anyone who lives a life of sleepless exhaustion, please share this with them. It may just change their lives.