Sleep Goals That Aren’t Just About Sleep
Why targeting sleep is one of the most efficient ways to improve learner outcomes across the board
Sleep is often treated as an isolated issue: something to be addressed only when a caregiver brings it up, or when a learner’s nighttime behavior becomes disruptive enough to impact daytime services. But what if we’ve been underestimating just how foundational sleep is to everything else we care about?
As BCBAs, we’re in the business of behavior change—and sleep is one of the most behaviorally influenced systems in the body. But it’s also one of the most influential systems when it comes to other goals. Improvements in sleep often result in measurable gains across attention, task engagement, behavioral regulation, skill acquisition, and even the effectiveness of reinforcement systems. And yet, many clinicians continue to overlook it as a critical variable during treatment planning.
This matters right now. With IEP meetings on the horizon and insurance re-authorizations just around the corner, clinical teams are revisiting goals and preparing new treatment plans. It’s the perfect opportunity to start viewing sleep not just as a quality-of-life issue (though it is!) but as a performance enhancer for nearly every other domain of ABA programming.
A growing body of research confirms what many of us see clinically: sleep quality and quantity have far-reaching effects on behavior, learning, and emotional regulation. A review published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children with insufficient, fragmented, or poor-quality sleep exhibit increased impulsivity, hyperactivity, mood dysregulation, and behavioral challenges. Similarly, a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience noted that sleep deprivation significantly impairs executive functioning, reward processing, and emotional reactivity—areas frequently targeted in ABA programming.
When learners aren’t getting enough restorative sleep, they are less able to access their skills, tolerate demands, and benefit from the high-quality instruction we work so hard to deliver. That means we’re collecting data on performance that isn’t representative of a learner’s actual ability—it’s representative of a tired brain doing its best to cope.
The best part? Sleep can be supported within the ABA framework—ethically and effectively—without needing to request new authorizations or rework the entire plan. Many of the most impactful changes can be addressed through:
Prerequisite skill building (like screen-relinquishment, transitions, and calming routines)
Environmental modifications that enhance sleep readiness
Caregiver collaboration to adjust timing, structure, and expectations around bedtime
These aren’t “extra” services. They’re extensions of what we’re already doing, informed by behavioral science and individualized to each learner.
If you’re ready to stop working twice as hard for half the progress, sleep might be the leverage point you’ve been missing.
And if you’re not sure where to start? That’s exactly what we cover in The Sleep Collective—the only certification program designed specifically for BCBAs who want to ethically integrate sustainable sleep supports into their practice. October enrollment is now open, and spots are filling fast.
We don’t just want kids to sleep better. We want them to live and learn better, too. Let’s start where it counts.