Sharron Farrell

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens After the first face to face meeting to confirm James's identity, all the rest were online Mike. Our LCWRA claim went very smoothly too. Sometimes the things you worry the most about are actually the easiest 😊

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@Khensi_20 Yes, my younger brother and sister have the same birthday one year apart.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens Our neighbours think that children like James should be in institutions, Mike. Milk of human kindness...

[Rachel A-S @Chuffin_ell]

If Keir Starmer counted unpaid carers as workers, unemployment figures would collapse overnight. Thousands of us are doing 50–100hr weeks, keeping health & social care afloat, yet are accused of “doing nothing.” The biggest workforce in the UK is the one nobody pays.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens This makes me want to play Under a Blood Red Sky - not listened to it in ages!

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens It's a bit of a postcode lottery in Scotland Mike - South Lanarkshire do but I don't know anyone in North Lanarkshire or Glasgow who has one.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens Support for your needs as a Carer: The personal budget is used to pay for anything agreed in your adult carer support plan that helps you in your caring role.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens James goes to the gym 3 times a week with his dad Mike - he very much enjoys it and wants to look buff 😍

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@CCfunkandsoul @BBC6Music

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@Tanni_GT Also, many disabled people who receive PIP are employers - for example, my son has a PA.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@LauraIsik @SocSecScot Goodness Laura, that's just awful 😭 I know it will be backdated but that doesn't pay for food and bills now! When I applied for Carer's Allowance previously (when UK) took 4 weeks. Why the horrendous delay? I hope you hear very soon.

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@stella_chadwick Wasn't oxalates the subject of one of our first F2Fs all those years ago, Stella? 😊

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens Wishing Ben and Finlay a wonderful 17th birthday in their favourite place with their lovely mum and dad ❣️❣️

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens Am so sad for all of you, Mike, your beautiful baby girl xx

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@MikeIStevens Awwww poor Willow 😭

[Stella Chadwick | Functional Medicine @stella_chadwick]

A new Nature Reviews Neurology study explores why so many autistic children and those with ADHD struggle with sleep. It covers genetics, metabolism, and circadian rhythms and even mentions sleep apnoea but it misses some of the biggest and most treatable factors we see in clinic.

One major issue is blood sugar crashes. Many autistic children can’t store enough glycogen to fuel their brain overnight, so they wake up hungry and restless.

Then there’s histamine, which should drop at night but in some children stays high, keeping them wired.

Gut health is crucial too. Most serotonin, the precursor to melatonin, is made in the gut. If there’s inflammation or dysbiosis, melatonin production suffers and so does sleep.

Glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, is another problem. Too much blocks deep sleep, and some autistic children react badly to glutamate-rich foods - usually found in processed foods but also in very large quantities in ‘heathy’ foods like tomatoes, parmesan, and even bone broth.

And while the study does mention sleep apnoea, it overlooks a key driver in autistic children, which is low iron. Many struggle to absorb iron, and even mild deficiency is linked to sleep apnoea, restless legs, and frequent night wakings.

Testing iron levels properly with cofactors in mind is essential.

There’s more to it of course, but these five factors come up time and again.

The most frustrating part is that these are almost entirely treatable.

Relying on melatonin alone won’t work if these root causes aren’t addressed.

Link to study in comments 👇

[🍂 @Lovandfear]

Ernest Hemingway once wrote: "The hardest lesson I’ve had to learn as an adult is the relentless need to keep going, no matter how shattered I feel inside."

[Sharron Farrell @Shamafar]

@Writer_DG Was watching the latest episode and remembered the John Hunter referred to is the same person represented on 2 medals I was awarded at Glasgow Uni' years ago (the prizes are given in his honour). It was such a strange feeling - when real life and fiction collide!