Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all,
I've just hit the end of my tether after 10 years and now I need help. My daughter 10, has always been an awful sleeper and an incredibly light sleeper. This week has broke me a bit so I need some advice or it will get betters. Something.
I believe she has autism, but we haven't had an official diagnosis (one of her siblings has a diagnosis and sleeps amazingly well).
My 10 year old has only ever slept in ridiculous patterns, like 2 hours at a time. She was baby #1, I thought all children slept like this until I had baby #2. I never understood why other parents weren't as knackered as I was.
I feel like she forces herself to stay awake on purpose, by watching TV, loud music, or sitting bolt up right in bed. When she finally does sleep it's for very little time. I realised recently how much I almost pander to it, I've always gone bed almost immediately after her as I know she will have me up within the next 2 hours. Again with the forcing herself to stay awake, she will want to chat, and try and get into a whole huge chat about things she knows we would have to look into. I give her plenty of time and opportunity to talk to me( somedays she does so the whole, need water or food, toilet, feel poorly, bedtime faking routine). I'm so over it. She's so difficult to awaken in the morning and nearly late everyday.
Last night she has me up 3 times. What can I do to help her get a better night's sleep?
Some tips for sleeping are:
Make sure that the last meal of the day is eaten 2-4 hours before bedtime
No screen use for at least an hour before bed
A warm bath and / or a milky drink during the hour before bed can help
A quiet, cool bedroom with no lights on - other than a dim night light if required - is essential
If sleep is still elusive, reading a book can cause sleepiness
So for a child who won't sleep or constantly wakes: Refuse to engage in conversation when they should be sleeping. Make sure they use the toilet before bed. Do not allow any screens in the bedroom 2 hours before bedtime, and leave books (picture books for non readers) for them to read/look at if they can't sleep. Put a night light in the room to prevent fear of darkness, and allow the child to be checked in the night if necessary without turning on bright lighting. If the child does wake during the night and wants attention, give water if thirsty, take or direct them to the toilet if they need it, then return them to their bed and leave them so that there is no reward for being awake at night time. If waking or problems getting to sleep are persistent, it might help to find out if the child is having any problems at school or with friends causing them to worry, so these can be addressed.