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Sleeping worse than normal

ParentingAutism

My daughter isn't sleeping well and I need ideas on what to do. She has always struggles sleeping but recently, the past few months have been horrible for her. She's struggled getting to sleep, then staying asleep and wakes up early. She used to sleep all the time as a baby and toddler but now she's older sleeping is like a chore, she hates it. 

We've tried everything, making the room dark, keeping it quite, keeping a routine, keeping the room cool, putting her on medication and having her take melatonin but there was no improvement, I'd anything it's getting worse. 

Last night was a bad night, but it is her first day back to school which is why, she was excited and nervous. She was being very noisy so I went in her room at 10:30 to tell her to go to sleep, then about 11 it was quiet so I belive she fell asleep. She woke up in the night and was up for hours then went back to sleep and kept waiting up. Then she stayed up from 6 this morning. We've noticed that she will wake up at 1 then fall back asleep at 4am. It's a very common thing and will happen most nights. She also put 3 weighted blankets on herself last night to help her get to sleep. What can I do now to make sleeping easier. We've tried everything we can. 

Parents

  • So sorry to hear she’s having these problems. My son is the opposite - never slept as a baby but reasonable now. 

    Will she listen to audiobooks or music? So when she wakes she can lie in the dark and listen to something so at least she’s resting? It seems to me that fighting the sleep is counter productive. 

    Also what about those meditation apps?


    On a normal night is she getting enough sleep even if it’s in small chunks? When E was a baby I’d get six hours just not all at once!

    Would keeping a worry journal or something like that help clear her mind a bit before she tries to sleep?

  • in reply to Pagea

    She listens to music quietly before bed, and when she is ready she will turn it off and go to sleep easier. 

    She does the same when she wakes up to help get ready. On a normal night she gets 7-9 hours of sleep which is good but she needs more and is just tired. 

  • in reply to ParentingAutism

    I wonder if addressing specific issues to do with sleep isn’t the thing, but rather other things that might be troubling her or making her anxious. Does she need more/less exercise, more hydration, less sugar - that sort of thing??  We are trying to break bedtime down into smaller steps for E as he just gets too tired and distracted at his actual bedtime and it ends badly. So he goes up to shower and put PJs on after tea and then has some downtime and supper. So it’s only teeth and a wee at actual bedtime and it’s less stressful. 

  • in reply to Pagea

    She gets enough exercise, she definitely needs more food and water now you say that. She hasn't been eating dinners with us because she's not hungry, but when it comes to bed she is. She doesn't drink much either. I have to keep reminding her. At bedtime for her, all she needs to do is her teeth and have a wee. 

    One issue we have is that she shares a bedroom with her sister. She will settle and start falling asleep than my other daughter will walk on in, turn the light on, do what she needs to do, turn the light off and then go on her tablet, so there's that which definitely does not help. They are getting there on room next week which will help. 

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  • in reply to Pagea

    She gets enough exercise, she definitely needs more food and water now you say that. She hasn't been eating dinners with us because she's not hungry, but when it comes to bed she is. She doesn't drink much either. I have to keep reminding her. At bedtime for her, all she needs to do is her teeth and have a wee. 

    One issue we have is that she shares a bedroom with her sister. She will settle and start falling asleep than my other daughter will walk on in, turn the light on, do what she needs to do, turn the light off and then go on her tablet, so there's that which definitely does not help. They are getting there on room next week which will help. 

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