25 September 2026• byLaura Hellfeld
Sleep and eating are often areas of significant challenge for PDAers. Traditional advice about routines, bedtime expectations, and mealtimes frequently assumes that these difficulties are behavioural or motivational.
Event Date:
Sep 25 at 12:00 AM
The PDA North America Conference – Health & Wellness
Friday September 25th
More details coming
My Conference Webinar
Energy Accounting: Why PDAers Often Run on Empty
Energy, Autonomy, and Regulation: Rethinking Sleep and Nutrition in PDA
Sleep and eating are often areas of significant challenge for PDAers. Traditional advice about routines, bedtime expectations, and mealtimes frequently assumes that these difficulties are behavioural or motivational. In reality, sleep and nutrition are closely connected to nervous system regulation, sensory processing, anxiety, and energy use.
In this webinar, we will explore sleep and eating through the lens of energy accounting—understanding how navigating demands, masking, sensory load, and anxiety can leave many PDAers running on empty by the end of the day.
Participants will learn why common approaches to food and sleep may increase stress, and how low-demand, autonomy-supportive strategies can better support regulation, rest, and nourishment.
This session will offer practical ideas for families and professionals while reframing sleep and nutrition as nervous system needs rather than compliance issues.
Last modified: 29 May 2026