sleep issues

[Guest guest]

Hi- thanks everyone for your support and suggestions. I wish there were an

easier solution. I do know that when he gets lots of movement and sensory input

during the day he is a much better sleeper. But he is at school all day (form

8:30 until 4:00) and I try to give him his input and also attend to my 3 yr old

and get dinner ready and and and...

Anyway- my hubby is a firefighter- so he is often not here at all. He works 24

hr shifts- but you ahve to factor in travel time, etc and I end up being all

alone for over 30+ hours (twice a week so that is at least 60+ hrs a week). We

bought one of those Good Nite Lites- and it is a truly great product- but

doesn't work for him. he can tell time and we have a digital clock in his room

(not my idea!) and I have tried to remove it and he freaks out! He will just get

up even earlier to check the clock in the other room! He also shares a room

with his little bro and although they both love having each other close by- they

are always waking each other up (mostly the older one waking the younger one).

And since I am usually doing the bedtime thing on my own most nights- it is hard

to put my younger son to bed first and then my older son after that. But i am

thinking that maybe if I let my older son go to bed when he feels sleepy and

tell he can just read or color until he is tired- and stick it out for a week or

so- maybe he will adjust? He is very stubborn and will try to watch tv though.

ANd my younger son will get jealous that he is awake.

I feel like I am in a no win situation no matter what I do. Unfortunately, my

hubby is not much help. He likes things the way the are because it is better

for him... (i.e. I am the one who always gets up early with my son, I am the one

who gives them a bath and puts them to bed) then my hubby has more time to

himself! oh well!

> >

> > Madeline goes to bed at 8 and gets up before I do...normally about 5 or 6..

She also takes remeron and melatonin. My husband and I have a system that works

for us. I stay up a bit later just to have some ME time and he goes to sleep

normally around 9ish...but gets up with Madeline around 5 or 6 and I get up a

little after that. I had the WORST time sleeping when he was deployed, because I

was terrified she would get up and get into something.

> >

> >

> >

> > Mom to my 4 girls

> > Madeline, Cayla, Arabella, & Vincenza

> > " You are the TRIP I did not take

> > You are the PEARLS I cannot buy

> > You are the blue Italian LAKE

> > YOU are my piece of foreign SKY "

> > ---Anne ----

> >

> >

> >

> > ( ) Sleep issues

> >

> >

> >

> > Hi-

> >

> > I am desperate for suggestions to help with our sleep issues. This has been

going on for so many years that I have not had a full nights sleep in over 6

years. (and I am sure I am not alone here).

> >

> > My 6 yr old son has Asperger's, but my 3 yr old does not. However- we all

suffer from my 6 yr old getting up way too early (by 5:30 or 6 am most days) and

he stalls at night when it is time to go to bed. I have tried moving bedtimes

around thinking he will sleep in but the later he goes to bed, the earlier he

gets up!

> > So- we set bedtime at 6:30. We do the same routine each night and sometimes

allow him to have a snack before bed.

> > I am just at my wits end lately. I am depressed and the lack of sleep has

negatively effected some other health issues I have. I feel like I am going to

end up in the hospital soon if I don't get some good sleep. I try to go to bed

early too- but I need some time to myself and to just get all the things done

that I couldn't do during the day when he was awake. Some days- and please

don't judge me for this- this is hard to admit... some days I fantasize about

packing up and taking my younger son with me and just leave and go somewhere

else far far away. How awful is that? I am also weaning off the

anti-depressant Effexor and it is really really awful but I need to go off it.

I am on this vicious cycle of little quality sleep at night followed by a lot of

coffee in the AM and then I crash in the afternoon and yet I can't fall asleep

or stay asleep at night.

> > Melatonin worked for me- but only the sublingual and the health food store

near me is out! So I bought the regular kind and have had terrible nightmares.

> >

> > I just don't understand why he can't sleep more. He is a totally different

kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that rarely happens. I am so

tired... i just wish he could sleep in a little more... and settle down at night

too.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

We used "clonidine" - a prescription med for sleep issues. Sleep issues can be tricky. Some kids get to sleep ok but don't stay that way. Others can't get to sleep but sleep fine once they do. Talk to a good developmental ped about things and hopefully, you can work together to figure out what will work for your ds.

My now 14 yo ds (hfa) uses a combo of clonidine and melatonin to get to sleep. And we've also had to realize he just needs less sleep than a typical kid as well. But still, he does sleep every night with the meds. We used clonidine for my older ds as well (hfa also) when he was a little guy and it worked great for him as well.

Roxanna

“Our lives begin to end the day we

become silent about things that matter.†- Luther King, Jr.

( ) Sleep issues

Hi-

I am desperate for suggestions to help with our sleep issues. This has been going on for so many years that I have not had a full nights sleep in over 6 years. (and I am sure I am not alone here).

My 6 yr old son has Asperger's, but my 3 yr old does not. However- we all suffer from my 6 yr old getting up way too early (by 5:30 or 6 am most days) and he stalls at night when it is time to go to bed. I have tried moving bedtimes around thinking he will sleep in but the later he goes to bed, the earlier he gets up!

So- we set bedtime at 6:30. We do the same routine each night and sometimes allow him to have a snack before bed.

I am just at my wits end lately. I am depressed and the lack of sleep has negatively effected some other health issues I have. I feel like I am going to end up in the hospital soon if I don't get some good sleep. I try to go to bed early too- but I need some time to myself and to just get all the things done that I couldn't do during the day when he was awake. Some days- and please don't judge me for this- this is hard to admit... some days I fantasize about packing up and taking my younger son with me and just leave and go somewhere else far far away. How awful is that? I am also weaning off the anti-depressant Effexor and it is really really awful but I need to go off it. I am on this vicious cycle of little quality sleep at night followed by a lot of coffee in the AM and then I crash in the afternoon and yet I can't fall asleep or stay asleep at night.

Melatonin worked for me- but only the sublingual and the health food store near me is out! So I bought the regular kind and have had terrible nightmares.

I just don't understand why he can't sleep more. He is a totally different kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that rarely happens. I am so tired... i just wish he could sleep in a little more... and settle down at night too.