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Sleeping difficulties

LLawrence

Our 3 year old is currently going through assessments for autism and the last 11 months have been awful at night. Over the last few months he has been moaning quite a lot in his sleep and running his hand up and down the side of the cot. He goes to bed at 7 with a bottle of milk and normally falls asleep by 7:20 but recently he's been stirring again by half 8 and will only settle back down with a bottle of water. He will normally start moaning again between half 9 and 10pm and every night he refuses to settle in his bed and will only sleep lying on me. There's some nights where we've ended up on the sofa because he just won't settle.

He also no longer naps during the day unless we are in a vehicle.

Is there any tips that we can try? He's still sleeping in our room as our older son is in the other bedroom we have. I have also got in contact with Cerebra and have sent in sleep journals and we are waiting to hear back from them.

I just want to have 1 decent night sleep without being slept on and waking up with numb ankles from trying to keep him safe through the night.

  • You don't say whether you have a nightlight, just wondered if a light or soft music might help. My son mostly slept well when he was younger and it was dark outside, but now needs white noise, so possibly some soft music would have a similar effect.

  • Hello, I'm sorry to hear you are having challenges with your childs sleep. There is a good article on this on the NAS website:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/sleep/parents

    I have read that some autisitc children with sleeping issues are deficient in magnesium (which helps them relax) so it may be worth discussing this when you next see your GP in case it can be tested for.

    It may also be worth testing for lactose intolerance in case the bedtime glass of milk is giving an upset stomach and causing the rough initial sleep pattern.

    From the same book that mentions this ( Parenting a Child with Autism, A Modern Guide to Understand and Raise Your ASD Child to Success -- Richard Bass -- 2022  ) I can quote:

    Your child needs sufficient quality sleep to maintain concentration throughout the day. Without proper sleep, they are more likely to be irritable, restless, and find it difficult to focus on tasks. A bedtime routine can slowly prepare your child’s mind and body for sleep. A typical bedtime routine consists of relaxing activities you can practice with your child before bed. These activities may include coloring a picture, listening to an audiobook, enjoying a warm bubble bath with toys, or playing quietly. You can also prepare the home for bedtime by dimming the lights, playing calming music in the background, switching off the TV and other electronic devices, and encouraging your family to speak quietly.

    They also recommend some physical exercise in the evening to help them burn off excess energy.

    LLawrence said:
    I just want to have 1 decent night sleep without being slept on

    You can speak to your GP and discuss if there is an option to medicate your child safely one night a week to allow you breathing space, or get someone to take him for a sleep over if they are patient enough. You need to be able to function in order to look after the child so you are right to look after your own needs too.

    None of this is medical advice of course as I'm just a random person off the internet and I'm sure you will check anything out before considering it Slight smile

    Good luck.