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DEAR EXHAUSTED PARENTS OF RESTLESS CHILDREN,
We've seen a powerful impact on sleep performance in highly restless children and teenagers who have used our beds. We encourage you to scroll through all our stories below to learn more about how zPods® made life better for them and their families during the night and in their daily performance.
If you are ready to change the balance of energy in your home, the zPods® Sensory Safety Bed could be a game changer for you and your family.
ZPODS ARE SENSORY-FRIENDLY, ENCLOSED SAFETY BEDS WHERE RESTLESS KIDS CAN FIND MORE CALM, COMFORT, SLEEP, AND HOPEFULLY, THE EXHAUSTED PARENTS CAN FIND MORE SLEEP AS WELL.
NATALIE
FROM SLEEPING IN HER CLOSET TO FLOURISHING IN HER ZPOD
Natalie was diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia. Before getting her zPod, Natalie slept in her closet and constantly woke up scared and most nights only sleeping 2-3 hours per night. She’d ring her private doorbell for her mom, Leah, who would then come and comfort her throughout the night.
Her Mom was exhausted and open to anything that could help Natalie find better sleep and a more comfortable safe space.
With Natalie sleeping over 10 hours a night on average, both she and Leah get much better sleep.
DAWSON
A SAFE HAVEN FOR A CHILD (AND FAMILY) IN DISTRESS
At a very young age, Dawson was diagnosed with childhood-onset schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and autism spectrum unspecified.
For nearly all his life, Dawson had been sleeping only two hours a night.
Most nights he’d be completely awake and his parents had to invest a lot of time making sure he was comfortable. For Dawson to get even the smallest amount of rest, he required up to four sleep medications. He’d fall asleep in school, often hallucinated, and wouldn't really show affection to his parents or siblings.
His parents had exhausted all options as his behavior was becoming very challenging around the family—especially when exhibiting anger and discontent. Sometimes even slamming plates at the dinner table. Or he would just be emotionless with fatigue.
It was actually getting to the point where there was consideration of having him committed to a residential institution to seek additional help and support.
Well, we have some interesting news. So many amazing things have happened since getting his new bed and starting his zPods® adventure!
Dawson is now sleeping 8 hours per night, consistently, and sometimes as much as 12 hours per night!
And, his parents have gone from sleeping 4 hours per night to 8 hours per night.
Dawson has also decreased his sleeping medication from 4 per night to now only 1 per night!
And, his mother has completely gotten off her anti-depressants as she is now way more rested than she's been in years.
Dawson is doing much better in school and is no longer considered intellectually disabled and, is not falling asleep in school anymore.
He is also connecting so much better with his peers, brother, and his parents.
Him and his father are now discovering a new found connection and often find themselves playing much more and laughing hysterically.
He says things to his mother all the time now like,
"I love you. I miss you."
It literally brings tears of joy to her eyes whenever she talks about it.
ETHAN
KEEP SCROLLING THROUGH OUR STORIES TO LEARN FURTHER DOWN ABOUT HOW ETHAN IS NO LONGER SLEEPING IN HIS PARENTS' BED AFTER FINDING HIS NEW SENSORY-FRIENDLY SAFETY BED.
CHILDREN NO LONGER SLEEP LIKE BABIES
AS ALL OF US EXHAUSTED PARENTS CAN IMAGINE...
...it's been one heck of a journey on finding proper rest in the household. We talk about the household because we know that when kids don't sleep well, 'we' as parents don't sleep well.
In the old days, it use to be mostly adults that struggled with sleep; whereas the children would sleep like babies, hence the term, 'sleep like a baby.'
HOWEVER, THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND CHILDREN ARE NO LONGER SLEEPING LIKE BABIES.
The American Academy of Family Physicians are saying that up to 50% of children will experience some sort of sleep challenge.
If this statistic rings true, then it's likely that parents are going to have issues sleeping. Especially, if their children are having difficulty.
Not to mention if the children can sleep better then their parents can find more alone time to laugh, relax, and not be as overwhelmed.
FATHER AND SON
LISTEN TO OUR PRESIDENT, GEORGE BAILEY, EXPLAIN ZPODS® AND TALK ABOUT HIS SON JOSEPH, WHO IS AUTISTIC AND GETS WIRED AT NIGHT
Through George's experiences as a parent of children with autism and sitting on the board of Autism Speaks St. Louis, he has developed a strong belief that...
"If we can help children that don't sleep well, we can change the lives of not just children, but the entire family."
As George understands the challenges his children face, he became in love with zPods® as they can provide a sensory friendly safe space when he saw his son interact with this bed for the first time.
JOSEPH
NOW LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT GEORGE'S SON, JOSEPH
Joseph is 12 years old is autistic and has a chronic sleep disorder and a sensory processing disorder.
Much to George’s concern, Joseph often danced around his room late at night, waving plastic utensils to calm himself (stimming).
Finally, George connected the dots and thought about introducing Joseph to zPods® because of its unique ability to create a comfortable and secure sleeping safe space.
George will never forget the first thing he noticed when Joseph saw our zPods®. As Joseph (a.k.a. 'Joe Joe') sat peacefully in the zPod George noticed that he was no longer stimming.
Some of you might be thinking,
“Okay, what is stimming?”
Stimming has been interpreted as a protective response to overstimulation that can be seen in children with autism.
Many people use stimming to block less predictable environmental stimuli to which they may have a heightened sensitivity.
WATCH HOW "JOE JOE" STARTED STIMMING LESS WHEN TRYING HIS NEW SENSORY-FRIENDLY SAFETY BED.
After observing 'Joe Joe', George felt an emotion that he never thought he would feel. Something that every parent wants to feel when they see their children finding peace, comfort, and security.
George then became obsessed with using zPods® to support children with autism along with all children who need sensory deprivation.
GEORGE STARTED THINKING MORE DEEPLY ABOUT THEMES THAT EXPERTS DELIVER TO PARENTS OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN:
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The room should be quiet at night. Some children may find white noise or a quiet, and consistent background noise such as a ceiling fan or air filter to be rather calming.
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The bedroom should be comfortable, quiet, and dark with the option of adding a dim light to their bedroom.
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If there is light coming in through the bedroom window, adding darker curtains could be necessary.
zPods® focuses on putting into practice all of these themes so it encompasses the outcomes projected by these recommendations.
Therefore, we feel we are on the right track to helping children find the comfort and security they desire.
And, supporting children with autism in finding better sleep.
JOHNNY
LEARN HOW JOHNNY IS SPEAKING AND SMILING NOW!
From Johnny's mom:
"It's been 3 months since my son received his zPod. And it has changed our lives in so many ways. My son is sleeping throughout the night now, which means his sister is getting a better nights sleep and that means mom and dad are getting the best rest we need as well.
"My son was non verbal and struggling immensely with sleep and getting through our day to day routines. But ever since he started sleeping better, he has started saying words, getting through and even knowing and expecting our day to day routines with ease and has been smiling and laughing (we didn't see our son smile or laugh for almost 2 years).
"zPods has changed our lives and allows us to feel our best which is helping our son navigate our world as his best self! Thank you so much!"
WHEN YOUR CHILD SLEEPS BETTER, THEN YOU SLEEP BETTER, TOO. LISTEN TO WHAT JOHNNY'S PARENTS HAD TO SAY AFTER HIS FIRST NIGHT!
Johnny's mother continues:
"I just wanted to let you know that yesterday afternoon the bed was delivered. My husband and I got the bed built just in time for Johnny's 2nd birthday.
"When he got into his bed yesterday, he kept tapping on his chest. He is non verbal and this is his way of saying 'mine'. When he realized he could open and shut his own door, everyone was kicked out and he just laid in his bed for a while. It did take him a little longer to settle than usual because of his excitement. But Johnny usually is up at 5:30 every morning, not this morning! For his 2nd birthday Johnny slept from 9 pm last night until 8 am this morning! My husband and I haven’t slept in until 8 in years! We knew the Zpod was going to be amazing for him but we had no idea he would take to it so we’ll, and so soon!
"I want to thank you for helping our family make this happen! We still can’t believe it! You have created such an amazing sensory bed! Everyone who has seen it is absolutely blown away.
"Thank you again for everything."
ADULTS
AND BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT OUR ZPODS® ARE MADE FOR ADULTS AS WELL!
We recently welcomed our very first adult to the zPods® family! Or as we like to say, our first zzzDult.
This lady and her little doggy started their very first zPods® adventure! So technically it's our first zzzDog as well. (The dog didn't actually pay, she's just along for the ride.)
The length of our bed on the inside is 6 feet 5 inches so it's not just made for kids but for adults as well.
If you are an adult and interested in purchasing a bed for yourself then feel free to send us a message below.
MADELINE
YOU NEED TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING DIFFERENT CAN HAPPEN
This is something that we want families all over the world to think about...
Believe and always believe that something different can happen than you originally expected.
In the picture below is George Bailey's daughter, Madeline, who also has autism.
Let's just say, Madeline fell asleep earlier than normal. She fell asleep before the sun went down. ❤
Her father officially became a believer that something different can happen.
And this is what we want more than anything.
Every time we've seen success with a family they usually say something like,
"We never thought this could happen."
or...
"We would never believe that this would be possible."
It's an emotional surprise that we want every family to feel when they see changes in their lives.
WATCH THE EMOTION ON MADELINE'S FACE WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT CALMING HERSELF WHEN SHE'S SAD AND ANGRY ❤
ELAINE
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ELAINE HAS NOTICED TRYING ONE OF OUR SENSORY-FRIENDLY BEDS?
Meet Elaine, a 9-year-old girl with autism who would spend most of her nights awake with very little sleep. Maybe 6 hours a night but would be up off and on all night. To the point where her father could hear her making noises from the bedroom.
Sometimes she would have to calm herself in her closet.
After her family received Grant Support from the state of Minnesota for the purchase of her bed, Elaine is now sleeping 11 hours straight through on many nights.
Throughout the course of Elaine's life she has gone through many stages where she was trying to find comfort and calm so she could feel energized throughout the day.
As she has a sensory processing disorder, she's needed to make certain adjustments in her lifestyle.
For example, she would always keep her hair cut short because she couldn't stand the thought of her parents blow drying her hair.
The intensity of the sound was something that gave her so much discomfort that she finally decided to just keep her hair short.
This created another internal dilemma that was giving her discomfort. She would have to face social judgement from other classmates due to her style of her.
As this internal dilemma is so vivid and frustrating for Elaine... choosing between cutting her hair versus social judgement has been a challenging decision. Even though she really wanted to have long hair, the discomfort of the blow dryer was so bothersome that she chose to keep her hair short.
However, things have now changed. Within the first week of getting her bed, for the first time ever, she said to her father,
"DAD, DO YOU MIND BLOW DRYING MY HAIR TODAY?"
Her mother and father were stunned! This was unprecedented.
And, as you can see, her hair is growing longer the way she enjoys it.
Also, when she feels stressed and needs her safe space, she no longer goes into her closet to calm herself; she can calm herself in her bed.
And, another added touch, when the family plays board games, no one leaves the table in anger. Which apparently, Elaine found herself getting a little upset during family game time.
It just goes to show us, never underestimate the value of a full night of sleep.
XANDER
LEARN HOW XANDER IS SLEEPING BETTER AND ELOPING MUCH, MUCH LESS
For those who have not heard about Xander and his story, his life has gone in a new direction.
Before he got his new bed, it was beyond challenging for Xander to get a good night of sleep.
Besides the fact that he would only sleep a couple hours per night...
...HIS MOTHER WOULD FIND HIM CRAMPED IN RANDOM POSITIONS ALL OVER THE HOUSE
Or pulling out a mattress at the end of his parents' bed when he would be trying to get comfortable throughout the night.
It seemed he had been looking for that place that could give him that sense of comfort and calmness... like his own little nook or cubby.
A place that is his... and of course, JuJu’s as well.
As their adventures continue, Xander is sleeping through the night in his bed...
...AND HIS LEGS NO LONGER HURT!
Apparently, because he would find himself in uncomfortable sleeping positions, his legs would be constantly sore.
Not to mention, he would be absolutely exhausted.
In speaking with his parents, it was an exciting and uplifting conversation, but definitely a lot of emotion as well...
...the largest sigh of relief you could say.
Now, something else has happened recently that we have to share with you.
Something that was bound to happen.
It was only a matter of time before JuJu would start hogging all the covers!
I guess Xander and JuJu need to pay attention to that old expression that...
..."SHARING IS CARING"
And, since Xander is so much happier his family is so much happier and rested as well.
"We have only had ours a week and it's the best investment we could have ever made!! My son loves it! He has slept and played better than ever!! Thanks zPods!!" - Xander's Mama, Ann.
Like we always say, when your kids sleep better then parents sleep better too.
LILLY
FOR SOME PARENTS, THEY ARE SO EXHAUSTED THAT THEY NEED A HAIL MARY
After talking with Lilly's mother, Andrea, it was apparent that they had exhausted almost everything and really needed some type of Hail Mary. Or, according to Andrea, she was just going to have to accept that "it was going to be this way for the rest of their lives."
Until they tried their first zPods® bed!
Meet Lilly Beans.
This amazing young lady went through some unexpected challenges that left her completely sleep deprived.
Starting at the age of 2, Lilly had been diagnosed with Autism and was only sleeping 2 hours per night.
Her mom said that all of a 'sudden everything started falling apart.'
From the ages 2-10 she was only averaging 2 hours of sleep per night.
And, because she was so restless and scared to sleep by herself she always had to sleep with her mom by her side.
As a result, her mom could only sleep 2 hours per night as well.
Sometimes, she would find Lilly trying to sleep behind the couch, nestled up against the wall for comfort.
As you can imagine, Lilly Beans and her mom were beyond sleep deprived as they both battled their sleep challenges.
Then, her mom came across one of our beds and literally said to herself,
"We've tried everything... tricks, supplements, medication, and nothing seems to work. This bed would be our final straw. Our Hail Mary! If this doesn't work then I will just have to accept this for the rest of my life."
Well, guess what, the Hail Mary came true!
Her mom couldn't believe it. Lilly Beans is now falling asleep between 7-9:30pm and never wakes up before 6am!
Think about that for a second... Lilly has gone from only sleeping 2 hours per night to now sleeping 8.5-11 hours per night!
And, her mom has gone from sleeping 2 hours per night to 6-8 hours per night. As a parent, imagine only getting 2 hours of sleep per night for 8 years.
It would be impossible to not feel exhausted on some level.
Also, Lilly is now going to bed on her own which is absolutely wild. Her mom would always have to comfort her to sleep every, single night.
It's almost like Lilly Beans is gaining a new sense of independence along with more rest.
In the evening, she will now go play in her room on her own and then go straight to bed without her parents saying a word.
Let's face it, it's not always easy for your kids to hop in bed on their own.
Not to mention Lilly Beans is not near as angry and irritable as she use to be. Sometimes, she would have meltdowns that were quite challenging.
It's amazing how much proper rest can be life changing for the whole family.
And like we always say, when our kids sleep better, we sleep better as well.
JUDAN
JUDAN WAS LOSING SLEEP BECAUSE HE THOUGHT MONSTERS WERE HIDING IN HIS CLOSET—NOW, HE IS FALLING ASLEEP TWO HOURS EARLIER
Judan is not the only kid that believed there was someone else or 'something else' living in his room.
Before getting his new bed, it would take Judan 2 hours to calm himself down after repeatedly checking his closet and looking underneath his bed as he circled in his imagination.
Every night, his parents would hear him rumbling around and even calling them out of terror.
As they would rush to his aide he would usually say something like,
"MOMMY! DADDY! THE MONSTER IS BACK AGAIN! I HEARD HIM IN THE CLOSET, AND I THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD COME AND GET ME!"
Of course, no monster would be around when they would rush into his room.
It wasn't until Judan got his new bed that he started feeling a new level of comfort and safety.
The biggest change that his parents noticed was that he was no longer calling them for comfort.
And, he is now falling asleep two hours earlier on most nights.
THEY WOULD BE ENJOYING ALONE TIME IN THEIR ROOM AND NOTICED SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THEIR CLOCK
Judan would no longer be calling on them.
He would no longer be running into their room as well.
He stopped talking about the monsters.
His parents really noticed this as their alone time started getting longer.
Normally, they wouldn't have this much time to themselves.
And now, it's not just Judan that is sleeping better and feeling more safe, even his parents are finding more alone time.
It's been amazing for the whole family.
ODYN
JUST LIKE ODYN AND HIS FAMILY
His parents will never forget the first time Odyn tested out one of our beds.
If he could have spoken these words, he might have said,
"I've got dibs on top bunk!"
Sure enough, this bed became more than what him and his family probably thought it would be.
It's as if he decided to create his own...
...CIRCLE OF LIFE JUST LIKE IN "THE LION KING"
However, he's not holding up Simba, it's just his awesome toy truck.
All of us parents can remember a toy or 2 from our younger days.
Watching Odyn seem so happy and excited has brought many of us back to some special moments in our minds.
Whether it's been watching our own kids have the time of their lives or remembering our own early childhoods.
SOMETIMES WE WOULD JUST ZONE OUT AS WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN OUR OWN ADVENTURES—JUST KIDS BEING KIDS
Let's just say that he got so excited about his bed that he got a little more creative.
And as we all know, when all of us are more rested, creativity is usually at its finest.
We can think more clearly and have more energy to support our creative thinking.
And that's what we keep seeing with our amazing beds.
More rest, less exhaustion, and lots of smiles being introduced into so many households.
NATALIE (CONTINUED)
NATALIE'S PROGRESS HAS GIVEN HER MOTHER PROGRESS
When Natalie was sleeping in her closet, her mom would have to check on her 3-4 hours into the night.
And! She would have to wake up multiple times a night to comfort Natalie.
A mother will do anything to comfort their child and give them all the love and help they deserve.
However, parents need their rest as well.
With zPods® the whole family can get more sleep.
Natalie now sleeps 11 hours straight on most occasions in her new safe space.
Which is amazing for her!
And, her mother Leah gets that extra bit of sleep she was looking for.
Some nights she might get an extra 3-4 hours of sleep because Natalie is sleeping like a baby.
Imagine how much more rested Leah feels now.
AT 365 DAYS A YEAR, THAT CAN BE A TOTAL OF AN EXTRA 45 DAYS OF SLEEP
And you might be thinking,
“45 days? Where did we get that from?”
3 hours per night x 365 days per year = 1,095 hours total.
1,095 hours divided by 24 hours = 45 days.
Just imagine how much more rested Leah feels because Natalie is sleeping 11 hours straight.
There are so many people that would not put a price on finding that much more sleep.
LISTEN TO LEAH'S UPDATE ABOUT NATALIE!
So, after hearing Leah talk about Natalie being scared again while the family was on vacation we came up with a new idea...
Learn more about how Aria's parents are feeling about her zPod.
"We cannot say enough how grateful we are that this bed was invented! Our daughter, Aria, is autistic with high support needs and has always struggled with sleep. For years she has stayed up for many hours every night, keeping her (and us) awake and preventing any meaningful sleep. While awake she would occupy her time ripping up books and jumping off furniture. Aria has slept in her closet, dresser drawers, even on top of a shelf. Being nonverbal, we never really understood why, but we are starting to realize her desire was to feel safe, and being enclosed gives her that fulfillment.
The Zpod is an incredible solution for this need. Since the day we received our bed, Aria has slept through the night, on a mattress, and has not exhibited any of the destructive behaviors we had grown accustomed to. She is happier and has energy every day! Notes from school have been more positive than usual as well. Overall, a great experience and we wish we had known about this years ago!
If you have a child with special needs (or even if you have sensory needs yourself) look into the ZPod! It truly is a lifesaver and we will be forever grateful for having one in our home!"
"Rocco is living his best life..."
'This bedroom turned out so cozy and sensory friendly. We have blackout curtains, colorful lights, a 65inch TV, zPods Bunk Beds, a sheepskin rug, new flooring, and new paint. These kids are spoiled rotten, and I love that about them!!! Rocco is enjoying himself on the bottom Bunk with a tablet as if he didn't just Smash his Talker a few hours ago...Living his best life!"
Schools
ZPODS ARE NOW IN SCHOOLS AS THEY PROVIDE A CALMING, SAFE SPACE FOR CHILDREN.
Ever since the beginning of zPods it's always been our vision to have them placed in school settings to be a support system for children. And now, that dream has come through as we pave the way for schools all over the world supportive and inclusive for children who need a space to find calmness.
ETHAN (CONTINUED)
BY THE WAY, YOU HAVE TO HEAR THE FULL STORY ABOUT HOW ETHAN GOT HIS BED! A SPECIAL NOTE THAT PUT LOVE IN HIS FATHER'S HEART ❤
The writing in the picture may be a little fuzzy, but here's what Ethan wrote:
Dear Dad,
Can you buy me a zPod please?
I will make sure the are turned off.
I will help with the patio.
I will give you extra massages.
I will help with not asking for so much stuff for Christmas.
I will help with taking care of it.
Now will you get me a zPod?
Your son
-Ethan
LET'S JUST SAY ETHAN GOT HIS WISH!
Not only is Ethan no longer sleeping in his parent's bed, he is now developing a lifestyle that supports his level of comfort and security. Sometimes he even calls it his "Spaceship Bed" because it's like he's going on a trip to a new universe.
Note: Ethan is not diagnosed with autism. He is just a child that has trouble sleeping alone and is always wired.
CONTACT US
Get in touch so we can work with you to improve sleep in your family.