Looking for sleep advice

Hi there 

haven't got any advice hun my daughter is exactly the same so I feel your pain !! We are currently trying circadn 2mg after a year and a half of misery and I hate to say it but it's made no difference at all

Atypical, Great link; Valerian. I shall read up on this. 

Despite my son having tried Melatonin, he's not really keen. He will only take it now in extreme conditions. Given that he was up until 5am this morning, I not sure what constitutes extreme, in his mind. He reports that he needs 'quality sleep' and that this always alludes him. Sometimes if the terrors are in a bad phase, he's frightened to sleep.

It's such a double edged sword and a dibilitating problem for him, I'd love to wave a magic wand.

If anyone has any other tips or pointers I'd love to hear them?

Atypical, Great link; Valerian. I shall read up on this. 

Despite my son having tried Melatonin, he's not really keen. He will only take it now in extreme conditions. Given that he was up until 5am this morning, I not sure what constitutes extreme, in his mind. He reports that he needs 'quality sleep' and that this always alludes him. Sometimes if the terrors are in a bad phase, he's frightened to sleep.

It's such a double edged sword and a dibilitating problem for him, I'd love to wave a magic wand.

If anyone has any other tips or pointers I'd love to hear them?

I generally agree with the advice given.

However I don't agree with seeing anything 'natural' as safe and good, and prescription medicines as dangerous and bad. The reality is that both prescription medicines and herbs contain active chemicals.  Herbs may contain several different active chemicals in variable proportions and concentrations, meaning that it's difficult to get an accurate dose.  Medicines contain precise amounts of known active ingredients and so more accurate dosages can be given.

I like using herbs: I've been interested in their use since childhood.  But I respect them, and know that they can cause side effects.

Here's an article on Valerian, which is commonly used as a herbal treatment for insomnia:

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/valerian

Melatonin is a chemical naturally produced in the brain which promotes sleep.  Here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Melatonin works for some ASD kids - there is a genuine reason for this as I understand it and I don't think it's like having a chemical cosh but you would have to talk to your gp about it

Have a look at the threads from this search

community.autism.org.uk/.../melatonin

which will all be about sleep issues

hth

Hello,

  I have two boys, both with sleep issues, but who have different presentations. One's reasonably quiet, but fridge raids and eats at night, as well as stays up late watching movies to the point of exhaustion. The other has night terrors, sleep walks when highly agitated or just can't sleep at night, like your son. 

He has been prescribed Melatonin, which I'm told is a natural substance. This helps get him off to sleep (Although not always) but doesn't improve the quality of his sleep.

Over the years I've tried a number of things. You may want to try each one individually or all at once, and tweek them to see if any work for you.

• Sleep Hygiene. Try to get a good sleep environment. No standby lights on TV's, computers, pads or phones on etc. The light from these has been shown to interfere with the brain function at night. Ensure that the matress is regularly turned to prevent discomfort, due to settlement of the matress.
• Temperature. Ensure the room is niether too hot or cold.
• Food. Make sure the last meal of the evening is set at such a time that the child isn't up in the night hunting for food or thirsty because he's eaten too early or in discomfort and having to use the toilet because he's eaten too late. 
• Food content. Try a steer clear of processed foods or foods with high levels of sugar etc. Slow release is best to sustain and keep energy levels even.
• Sound. If your child has sound sensory issues, the tendancy of some parents is to make the room totally quiet. For some this can be unbearable. Calming music, audio stories etc can block out any 'White noise' that a child may hear, due to oversensitivity.
• Beding and clothing. Again, sensory issues with skin can play a part here in keeping a child awake. Choose beding and night cloths that suit. My sons, are virtually threadbare, but he can sleep better if he wears them. If your child doesn't like a certain pair of PJ's or even prefers to sleep naked due to sensory issues, then let him.
• Light. Again, although light is genearally not encouraged during the night, you could experiment with a low night light, to see if that brings comfort. Nothing Blue in wavelength. Additionally, open the curtains for natural light at least an hour before waking your child. The circadian rhythm's need to be maintained to ensure your son gets enough daylight to balance sleep and waking hours. Light boxes can be purchased online to this end if their is not enough natural light where you live, but should really be done with a sleep specialist,s guidance, combined with Melatonin or similar.
• weight. Some parents report that children need weight to feel 'grounded' at night. They obtain this using weighted blankets. These can be expensive, so before you spend out, experiment with extra heavy bedclothes. Remember not to over heat though.
• Smell. Lavender or similar oils can be used to calm at bedtime. One of my lads uses it after migraines, if he's having trouble sleeping. Mohdoh is also availible for those children who like to stimm to get to sleep, with the associated scent. It's also useful at other times for calming and doesn't stain or spoil bedcloths etc. www.amazon.co.uk/.../ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_z
• Routine. Their is something very calming about water and bath before bedtime that has the effect of getting a child to unwind and relax the tensions of the day. Given that most with ASD or even ADHD, have high aniety levels all the time, this is all the more important. Using scented lavender oil for massage or similar bath oil for bathtime etc. adds to the effect. Just as adults need time to settle, some children do also. Start your wind-down pattern early enough for the child to get the right signals rather than, 'Right, It's bed now!' Adjust the times to suit your childs best wind-down time frame and keep anxiety levels at a minimum before bedtime, to reduce stress which can prolong wakefulness.
• Natural Remedies. Before resorting to anything hardcore, look at natural remedies for sleep issues. You may find some very simple resolutions, which are just enough to work, without resorting to prescription meds.
• Benign indifference. I'd not considered this, until more recently, But to let your child adopt their own pattern is sometimes the only option left if all else fails, but it's not always possible. If my son has a bad night I have to be with him to ensure his safty. As he's gotten older and his sleep issues have continued, we've had to adapt his life to suit his difficulties. He isn't able to wake due to both Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and his Night Terrors, so he cannot work in the mornings because of exhaustion and the fact that it takes over an hour to wake him and get him functional. Clearly this is not ideal for School age children, but for the future, you may have to consider this. We've had to think 'outside the box' to accommodate him and his difficulties, as any future employer would not adapt to his needs. He now works for himself part-time, but mostly in the afternoons to allow for his significant sleep problems.                     For some, things settle. For others, they go in cycles. It's easy to escalate tension when we are exhausted ourselves and this can perpetuate the problem we're trying to remedy. Perservere because their are always different ways to manage these issues. Most importantly, you need to take time for yourself.

Hope some of the above is helpful, Good Luck! 

Coogybear