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new to site

bubbles2bb

Hi

My name is Jo, I have just joined this site, I am a mother to an almost 5 year old boy with learning difficulties and autism (diangosed july 2013), he is non verbal, with very limited receptive language, in nappies, unable to self feed etc etc. However, our main concern is his sleeping - this has been a problem for over two years, but just gets worse, it is hell, so i have joined the group to try and find other people in similar situations or to see if there was any advice out there.....

We have a new paediatrian, although her answer to everything is to keep increasing his medication, which doesnt appear to do anything, but more importantly i just dont want to keep increasing medicine, i just wondered if anyone else had tried anything else?

He currently has 2-4mg circadin in a yoghurt each night along with 3-4 mls melatonin, this used to get him to sleep and keep him asleep until 1-2am when he would be up until 4.30 am then go back off until 6.30am, we were told to re dose him if he wakes before 2am, but have given this up as it doesnt make any difference, once he is awake that is it!

He currrently goes to sleep at 19.30pm and wakes around 22 - 23 and can be up all night and go all day, i cant settle him at all in his room and if i bring him in my bed its hit or miss if he goes back to sleep, if he does, he wakes several times, i am exhausted, i work full time and so does his dad, so we take it in turns to provide cares.

I was just wondering what everyone else out there does to tackle the sleeping? Has anyone tried sleep studies?

thanks

Parents

  • Hi Jo, 

       My daughter is 8 yrs old and has autism and learning difficulties too, she too has  difficulty sleeping and gets melatonin although we have been able to reduce it she is better at sleeping now, but she used to be up in the night and not sleeping till 1am sometimes it was hard going.

    The big thing that really helped my daughter to sleep more was her trampoline! i know it sounds a bit odd but we bought her (an outdoor) trampoline about a year and a half ago, and most days after school she can be bouncing away for hours and it really tires her out and I think she loves the rhythm of jumping as well as the exercise! Maybe not the best for the weather we are having just now but if it's not wet out, they can be wrapped up, worth a try maybe.

    my daughter has a blackout blind and a thick curtain and I think it does help , she also has a lantern mobile same idea as lava lamps, she also has fairy lights that she likes to look out it's quite a relaxing atmosphere. 

    I rarely put my daughter to bed before 8.30 and she is not sleeping until about 10 ( I have older children that are up anyway, I understand it's hard if your husband is up so early and you are working long shifts. I hope some of this helps but I have too say I would put him to bed later but i understand you need a bit of time to yourself.

    good luck

    susie.

Reply

  • Hi Jo, 

       My daughter is 8 yrs old and has autism and learning difficulties too, she too has  difficulty sleeping and gets melatonin although we have been able to reduce it she is better at sleeping now, but she used to be up in the night and not sleeping till 1am sometimes it was hard going.

    The big thing that really helped my daughter to sleep more was her trampoline! i know it sounds a bit odd but we bought her (an outdoor) trampoline about a year and a half ago, and most days after school she can be bouncing away for hours and it really tires her out and I think she loves the rhythm of jumping as well as the exercise! Maybe not the best for the weather we are having just now but if it's not wet out, they can be wrapped up, worth a try maybe.

    my daughter has a blackout blind and a thick curtain and I think it does help , she also has a lantern mobile same idea as lava lamps, she also has fairy lights that she likes to look out it's quite a relaxing atmosphere. 

    I rarely put my daughter to bed before 8.30 and she is not sleeping until about 10 ( I have older children that are up anyway, I understand it's hard if your husband is up so early and you are working long shifts. I hope some of this helps but I have too say I would put him to bed later but i understand you need a bit of time to yourself.

    good luck

    susie.

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