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problematic nights

momnson

hello i'm new to this site. my son who is 3 has recently been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. he has very limited speech uses maybe 20 words so communication with him is very difficult. he has recently started waking at night very distressed. he starts out crying which then goes to whimpering then calm. this can be repeted for several hours. i have no idea what is wrong with him and was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar or has any advice on how to manage this behaviour.  all suggestions very much appreciated Smile 

Parents

  • Oh this takes me back...

    When my son was aged 2 - 3 he used to have night terrors. Some were bad, some okay. I can understand what you mean about feeling like a yoyo. 

    I know it sounds silly but have you added anything to the bedroom of late? When Jake was about 3 he got a new wardrobe, it was a blue one. He HATED it, Hes never been a great sleeper but when we got the wardrobe it all went down hill, he would wake in the night screaming. In the end out of sheer fustration i moved him to the box bedroom with just his bed and night light. The night terrors stoped for a bit!

    Another is shaky legs..he used to wake with pins and needles in his legs, he didnt like the feeling so used to wake and sob for sometime. 

    I found that a sound activated music playing teddy worked well to help him self sooth. I used to let him cry (horrid i know) for a few minutes, the teddy would start to sing and he would calm a little...over a few weeks he learnt to sooth himself back to sleep without me having to go in and sit with him for hours. He would wake and be back asleep within 10 minutes. Let me point out this was if he woke up whimpering not screaming! I wouldnt let him scream.

    Hope it you soon find a solution so your little one can get a good nights rest 

    Take Care x

Reply

  • Oh this takes me back...

    When my son was aged 2 - 3 he used to have night terrors. Some were bad, some okay. I can understand what you mean about feeling like a yoyo. 

    I know it sounds silly but have you added anything to the bedroom of late? When Jake was about 3 he got a new wardrobe, it was a blue one. He HATED it, Hes never been a great sleeper but when we got the wardrobe it all went down hill, he would wake in the night screaming. In the end out of sheer fustration i moved him to the box bedroom with just his bed and night light. The night terrors stoped for a bit!

    Another is shaky legs..he used to wake with pins and needles in his legs, he didnt like the feeling so used to wake and sob for sometime. 

    I found that a sound activated music playing teddy worked well to help him self sooth. I used to let him cry (horrid i know) for a few minutes, the teddy would start to sing and he would calm a little...over a few weeks he learnt to sooth himself back to sleep without me having to go in and sit with him for hours. He would wake and be back asleep within 10 minutes. Let me point out this was if he woke up whimpering not screaming! I wouldnt let him scream.

    Hope it you soon find a solution so your little one can get a good nights rest 

    Take Care x

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