Sleep Issues

[Guest guest]

I have not researched studies, , so I can't refer you to anything.

Noah has had cyclical sleep issues for about 20 of his 23 years...

He has been on a variety of antipsychotics, anti-depressants and more recently,

prescription sleep meds...nothing works consistently and most of the meds alter

his personality and his cognitive status and not in a good way! He develops a

very flat affect, becomes sluggish, sometimes combative or more testy, he

develops tremors, rashes, flushing...I could go on, but you get the idea.

He is currently taking a benzodiazapine (Lorazepam) and Lyrica (this was a lark

to see if any body aches or pains may be causing sleeplessness...we will likely

stop this med shortly)...we are trying 5 mg of Melatonin again but to be honest,

the best we can do at present is the benzo, which helps Noah to stay calm (most

of the time) while he waits to fall asleep...what he is currently taking is not

affecting his cognitive ability, that I can see...

He often does fall asleep in about an hour or two, but often wakes...anywhere

from 3-6 hours after falling asleep...

This cycle has lasted about 6 months...other, better cycles, which have lasted

up to two years, are when he has 1 bad night to every 3-4 good nights...a good

night being defined as 6-8 hours of sleep and falling asleep within an hour...

Hope this helps...my prince awaits

Oh, and I forgot to mention...he comes in my room repeatedly when he cannot

sleep...sometimes he will watch a video for a few hours and not bother me, but

he doesn't entertain himself all that well or for all that long...

I used to think Noah's sleep issues were seasonal, but not any longer...

Needless to say, I am often a walking zombie.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Sleep Issues

Taking a break from politics! Ellen, you have mentioned sleep difficulties

with Noah in a few posts....have you found any herbals or supplements that will

provide more than 3 or 4 hours sleep each night? Does Noah keep you awake, or

does he quietly occupy himself? Is this chronic for months, or is it problematic

at certain times or seasons of the year? Has anyone else discovered what this is

about and/or ways of managing it? I would also be interested in knowing whether

those with sleep issues are on prescription meds. If anyone can refer me to any

studies about sleep/autism/psychiatry connection, I'd be most grateful.

W

[Guest guest]

Hi Kimberley.

Is he on Bee's Diet?

My daughter had problems with antidepressants (Citalopram) and came off them

soon after as they made her quite ill. Two or three weeks later she started on

St 's Wort and has been far better off with those. I would love for her to

get on Bee's Diet as I am sure it would help her be able to get off the tablets

completely. If you are going to try herbals like SJW he needs to be completely

off the ADs.

Personally, I discovered that my sleep issues (also unable to switch off brain!)

were caused by gluten foods. Several things cleared up after dumping gluten

(and dairy, because I knew I was intolerant of that too). Neither Gluten or

Dairy are a part of Bee's Diet and the removal of those and other harmful foods,

along with the good food and supplements is undoubtedly why it works so well.

I have realised that so many of our health issues - including things like sleep

and depression, are caused by the food we eat - and usually without us being

aware of it.

My husband joined me on the gluten-free trail - just as an experiment initially

- and we were amazed when his depression and awful brain-fog went away. It was

like having a new husband! His Fibromyalgia is improved too - although I am

certain we could get rid of it completely if only I could get him to sign on to

Bee's Diet.

There is no reason that I can see why your man would not do well on Bee's Diet

if you can get him on board. If he can gradually increase the good fats and

supplements as he gradually decreases the ADs he may find that he won't need to

replace them. He would undoubtedly have to go through a period of withdrawal and

detox of the drugs which may disrupt his sleep for a short while, but it would

be nice to think that eventually it would all settle down.

Bee may be able to give you more advice when she is next online, but I would

suggest that certainly getting grains, starches, sugars and dairy, especially

the processed stuff, out of his diet would be a very good place to start.

Ali

Hi,

My loved one has had sleep issues all his life. Recently has hit rock

bottom and using antidepressants that have pulled him up out of the hole enough

to get on board and move towards health. The bad thing is the drug is causing

him sleep issues. We tried melatonin and it seemed too much for him at 3 mg. I

read the article bee has and mercola said he prefers L-tryptophan. We are

intending to slowly ween off the antidpressant and use herbals with the natural

doctor for a while until his seritonin gets up there etc.

> Do you think L-tryptophan is what we should go to next and where should I get

it? I also thought maybe to cut the meletonin in half and see if that works.

>

> Someone has also told me about using guided imagery for sleep and anxiety. any

thoughts there. Train the brain to shut down!!!

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you Ali, We are dealing with autism here and a person with late diagnosis.

He is ready to make changes, but because of focus and many other factors we have

to go very slow. Im hiring someone to cook up meals from bees diet while he

works on other areas of life skills. Then once he feels better he wants to learn

how to cook and eat healthy as well. He has tried SJW before with success as

long as he takes them. I feel its the dairy that causes him to not sleep. Thank

you.

>

> Hi Kimberley.

>

> Is he on Bee's Diet?

>

> My daughter had problems with antidepressants (Citalopram) and came off them

soon after as they made her quite ill. Two or three weeks later she started on

St 's Wort and has been far better off with those. I would love for her to

get on Bee's Diet as I am sure it would help her be able to get off the tablets

completely. If you are going to try herbals like SJW he needs to be completely

off the ADs.

>

> Personally, I discovered that my sleep issues (also unable to switch off

brain!) were caused by gluten foods. Several things cleared up after dumping

gluten (and dairy, because I knew I was intolerant of that too). Neither Gluten

or Dairy are a part of Bee's Diet and the removal of those and other harmful

foods, along with the good food and supplements is undoubtedly why it works so

well.

>

> I have realised that so many of our health issues - including things like

sleep and depression, are caused by the food we eat - and usually without us

being aware of it.

>

> My husband joined me on the gluten-free trail - just as an experiment

initially - and we were amazed when his depression and awful brain-fog went

away. It was like having a new husband! His Fibromyalgia is improved too -

although I am certain we could get rid of it completely if only I could get him

to sign on to Bee's Diet.

>

> There is no reason that I can see why your man would not do well on Bee's Diet

if you can get him on board. If he can gradually increase the good fats and

supplements as he gradually decreases the ADs he may find that he won't need to

replace them. He would undoubtedly have to go through a period of withdrawal and

detox of the drugs which may disrupt his sleep for a short while, but it would

be nice to think that eventually it would all settle down.

>

> Bee may be able to give you more advice when she is next online, but I would

suggest that certainly getting grains, starches, sugars and dairy, especially

the processed stuff, out of his diet would be a very good place to start.

>

> Ali

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kimberley, there is evidence that low-carbohydrate diets like the SCD

(Specific Carbohydrate Diet) and the GAPS diet (both are very similar although

GAPS restricts some things that SCD allows) work well for those with Autism. I

know that there are some clinics that use the diets with great success over in

the States and they are beginning to catch on here in the UK too. They both are

based on natural foods and cut out most grains, dairy, sugar and starches.

Knowing what I now know (I was on the SCD for two years) I suspect that Bee's

Diet, although perhaps a bit more restrictive even than those two diets, would

actually be even more successful in the long run because it cuts out ALL

starches, dairy and sugars. I found that whilst the SCD did address some issues,

there were others it didn't touch, which is why I have ended up here.

Many with Autism and Asperger's do appear to have gut issues (and I suspect that

those that don't appear to have any may actually have hidden, or 'silent' issues

(like 'silent' Celiac for instance). That has to indicate damage - and damage

that may well have occurred right from infancy.

Babies are often weaned early these days and some of the first foods they are

given are gluten and dairy. Rusks are very common - or toast! I fell into that

trap myself not realising the problems or that it was so indigestible for them.

Being stripped of the wheatgerm and consequently its nutrient value and the

elements that would help in its digestion makes the bread and flour products

very hard to digest, especially for little tummies.

The problem with dairy of course is that it is pasteurised. It has had the

natural enzymes and bacteria destroyed that would help us digest it. Raw milk

is almost impossible to get hold of now and even if we could, the lactose

intolerance that has resulted would probably still make it hard to cope with -

at least until the gut was healed.

It is not the parents fault. They don't know. No one tells them. Everyone

else - including babies - eats and drinks this stuff so it must be ok - right?

We just do not realise what the stuff is doing to us all.

I suspect that whether a child develops Autism or not may well depend on several

different things, but perhaps ultimately how mature their gut is when they are

introduced to solid food. There is anecdotal evidence that vaccines could be

implicated and I wouldn't be at all surprised at that - they are full of pretty

toxic stuff. We just don't realise - I know I didn't when my kids were given

them. I developed life-long fatigue not long after having the BCG when I was

fourteen and often wonder if it was contributory.

I understand it may be hard, particularly at first but the closer you can get

his diet to Bee's protocol, the better the outcome. It's so good that you are

putting things into practice to get it going for him. I hope it works well for

you both.

Regards, Ali.

> >

> > Hi Kimberley.

> >

> > Is he on Bee's Diet?

> >

> > My daughter had problems with antidepressants (Citalopram) and came off them

soon after as they made her quite ill. Two or three weeks later she started on

St 's Wort and has been far better off with those. I would love for her to

get on Bee's Diet as I am sure it would help her be able to get off the tablets

completely. If you are going to try herbals like SJW he needs to be completely

off the ADs.

> >

> > Personally, I discovered that my sleep issues (also unable to switch off

brain!) were caused by gluten foods. Several things cleared up after dumping

gluten (and dairy, because I knew I was intolerant of that too). Neither Gluten

or Dairy are a part of Bee's Diet and the removal of those and other harmful

foods, along with the good food and supplements is undoubtedly why it works so

well.

> >

> > I have realised that so many of our health issues - including things like

sleep and depression, are caused by the food we eat - and usually without us

being aware of it.

> >

> > My husband joined me on the gluten-free trail - just as an experiment

initially - and we were amazed when his depression and awful brain-fog went

away. It was like having a new husband! His Fibromyalgia is improved too -

although I am certain we could get rid of it completely if only I could get him

to sign on to Bee's Diet.

> >

> > There is no reason that I can see why your man would not do well on Bee's

Diet if you can get him on board. If he can gradually increase the good fats and

supplements as he gradually decreases the ADs he may find that he won't need to

replace them. He would undoubtedly have to go through a period of withdrawal and

detox of the drugs which may disrupt his sleep for a short while, but it would

be nice to think that eventually it would all settle down.

> >

> > Bee may be able to give you more advice when she is next online, but I would

suggest that certainly getting grains, starches, sugars and dairy, especially

the processed stuff, out of his diet would be a very good place to start.

> >

> > Ali

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Ali,

Actually, there is evidence to suggest that unpasteurized dairy is not only

easier on digestion, but also a great thing for people who otherwise thought

themselves " lactose intolerant " to consume. See this website for a lot of good

information: www.raw-milk-facts.com

I myself, as well as my brothers and many other members of my family, had been

living as " lactose intolerant " for years. Since we have started on raw dairy we

have not had any issues whatsoever.

Granted, *my* raw dairy is limited to butter at the moment, because I am on

Bee's' diet But the others report NO problems with milk and cheese.

Best,

andra

group moderator

>

> The problem with dairy of course is that it is pasteurised. It has had the

natural enzymes and bacteria destroyed that would help us digest it. Raw milk

is almost impossible to get hold of now and even if we could, the lactose

intolerance that has resulted would probably still make it hard to cope with -

at least until the gut was healed.

>

<snip>

> Regards, Ali.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kimberley

Yes you can change your brain patterns on sleep. To improve sleep I totally

recommend McKenna's book/cd " I can make you sleep " . I used to find it so

hard to not only fall asleep but would wake really early. After after 2 weeks of

listening to the cd every night before going to sleep I'm a changed woman. It's

only very rare that I have a night where I can't sleep which is imporatant when

you suffer from extreme fatigue like me & need alot of sleep. The cd involves

hypnotism but you're still conscious of what's going on around you & will wake

up if need be.

Good luck with it!

>

> Hi,

>

> My loved one has had sleep issues all his life. Recently has hit rock

bottom and using antidepressants that have pulled him up out of the hole enough

to get on board and move towards health. The bad thing is the drug is causing

him sleep issues. We tried melatonin and it seemed too much for him at 3 mg. I

read the article bee has and mercola said he prefers L-tryptophan. We are

intending to slowly ween off the antidpressant and use herbals with the natural

doctor for a while until his seritonin gets up there etc.

>

> Do you think L-tryptophan is what we should go to next and where should I get

it? I also thought maybe to cut the meletonin in half and see if that works.

>

> Someone has also told me about using guided imagery for sleep and anxiety. any

thoughts there. Train the brain to shut down!!!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm not able to advise since he is not on my program, and there are too many

factors involved with not sleeping, autism, etc. Like others recommended he

should go on my program.

There are no quick fixes or other things that will help since he is very

unhealthy.

Bee

>>

>My loved one has had sleep issues all his life. Recently has hit rock bottom

and using antidepressants that have pulled him up out of the hole enough to get

on board and move towards health. The bad thing is the drug is causing him sleep

issues. We tried melatonin and it seemed too much for him at 3 mg. I read the

article bee has and mercola said he prefers L-tryptophan. We are intending to

slowly ween off the antidpressant and use herbals with the natural doctor for a

while until his seritonin gets up there etc.

[Guest guest]

>

> Thank you Ali, We are dealing with autism here and a person with late

diagnosis. He is ready to make changes, but because of focus and many other

factors we have to go very slow. Im hiring someone to cook up meals from bees

diet while he works on other areas of life skills. Then once he feels better he

wants to learn how to cook and eat healthy as well. He has tried SJW before with

success as long as he takes them. I feel its the dairy that causes him to not

sleep. Thank you.

+++Hi ,

You can be assured that it isn't only dairy that causes him to not sleep because

there are so many other factors involved in his health problems.

Bee

[Guest guest]

>

> The problem with dairy of course is that it is pasteurised. It has had the

natural enzymes and bacteria destroyed that would help us digest it. Raw milk

is almost impossible to get hold of now and even if we could, the lactose

intolerance that has resulted would probably still make it hard to cope with -

at least until the gut was healed.

+++Hi Ali,

What helps our bodies digest lactose is the butter fat content. The rule is:

" The higher the butterfat content the lower the lactose. " Also butter fat helps

digest lactose and proteins in dairy products.

Bee

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Here are Bee's suggestions:

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/sleep1.php

More links on sleep:

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/searchresults.php?cx=007389961398058229346%\

3Ag0jqwaxnkt8 & cof=FORID%3A9 & ie=UTF-8 & q=sleep & sa=Search & siteurl=www.healingnatura\

llybybee.com%2F#1007

BTW There is lots of natural tryptophan in chicken, turkey and even somewhat in

eggs.

Happy sleeping,

Nan

>> Hi,

>

> My loved one has had sleep issues all his life. Recently has hit rock bottom

and using antidepressants that have pulled him up out of the hole enough to get

on board and move towards health. The bad thing is the drug is causing him sleep

issues. We tried melatonin and it seemed too much for him at 3 mg. I read the

article bee has and mercola said he prefers L-tryptophan. We are intending to

slowly ween off the antidpressant and use herbals with the natural doctor for a

while until his seritonin gets up there etc.

>

> Do you think L-tryptophan is what we should go to next and where should I get

it? I also thought maybe to cut the meletonin in half and see if that works.

>

> Someone has also told me about using guided imagery for sleep and anxiety. any

thoughts there. Train the brain to shut down!!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ok I realize that, but what Im saying is dairy gives him the worst side

effects.He does much better when he stays away from it.

As humans we need to keep some sort of balance:

Financial - Can this person hold a job?

physical- Are they sleeping? Health issues under control? Eating healthfully?

mental- Anxiety levels, Depression, communication clarity

spiritual- Some sort of higher power faith

relationships- Are they healthy and balanced?

Emotional- knowing how you feel and how you connect with others feelings.

So as I see it, Food is NOT the only answer. So the web we have here is very

big. Somewhere in there we have to create a window for the world becomes very

closed off because every single one of the categories are out of whack accept

the spiritual piece.

So there are many times you have to use this supp or that supp to get play with

balance so you can start getting the core of what will help the most.

> +++Hi ,

>

> You can be assured that it isn't only dairy that causes him to not sleep

because there are so many other factors involved in his health problems.

>

> Bee

>

[Guest guest]

>Thank you Nan, I printed out all the stuff on sleep from Bees site. This week

we start making a general visual schedule with those ideas implemented.

> Dear ,

>

> Here are Bee's suggestions:

> http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/sleep1.php

>

> More links on sleep:

>

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/searchresults.php?cx=007389961398058229346%\

3Ag0jqwaxnkt8 & cof=FORID%3A9 & ie=UTF-8 & q=sleep & sa=Search & siteurl=www.healingnatura\

llybybee.com%2F#1007

>

> BTW There is lots of natural tryptophan in chicken, turkey and even somewhat

in eggs.

>

> Happy sleeping,

>

> Nan

>

>

> [

[Guest guest]

It did get better for us! Hang in there.My boys are 3 1/2 years apart. My oldest is the one who gets up super early and would wake the entire house. He is now 7 1/2. Here is what we do. We gave him a clock and told him he can't get out of bed until a certain time. We attached this to a reward chart for a while and made the time reasonable for him. If your child doesn't read clocks you can cover the minutes with a piece of paper that says 7 (or whatever) and tell the child he can get up when the numbers match.this helped some. The other thing that helped was age. He got to an age where he was more interested in watching tv, legos or whatever than waking the house up.Good luck! Careyhttp://www.GreenDiaperStore.comSent via BlackBerry from T-MobileFrom: and/or Robin Lemke <jrisjs@...>Sender: Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:28:55 -0800 (PST)< >Reply Subject: Re: ( ) Sleep issues Hi, I'll just tell you what we do/did. It wasn't a miracle.....it just helped.First, we went for walks in the winter.....my husband even had him do situps/pushups. Not RIGHT before bed, of course, but man, we worked him. He liked it, though!!!! We did Melatonin but it had no effect on him.We also had a chat and said that if we didn't come to him, he didn't come and wake us up. So, he could get up - everyone's "clocks' run different. But he had to hang out in his room. We had books in there, paper, crayons, lego's, etc. He could play or do whatever. We figured that if he got up or couldn't sleep, then maybe he'd be tired and sleep better the next night. Also, we got a cd player. When he was little, we got him a couple good cd's he chose (one was with really calm, instrumental XMAS music and another was with kids' songs on it). He learned to work it and was really proud.Good luck and hugs to you!!!Robin .....A rich man is not one who has the most, but who needs the least.....From: Carolyn Weisbard <ccweisbard@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Sleep issues Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 9:26 AM First of all, I am glad to hear that I am not the only one that has had horrible nightmares with melatonin!!! I have found that those have dissapated (sp??) over time though. Have you tried giving your son the melatonin? I have heard of lots of people with children on the spectrum on my other lists give melatonin every night and it seems to have worked.... Just an idea!CarolynFrom: nicolea102602 <nicolea102602@...> Sent: Sat, January 29, 2011 8:24:26 PMSubject: ( ) 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 thingsdone 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]

" He is a totally different kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that

rarely happens. "

I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have said the same thing about

our son (now 3 1/2)! A long time ago I read the book " Is Your Child Misbehaving

or Just Missing Sleep " and agreed with the author completely that our child was

indeed missing sleep - but her suggestions did not solve the problem for us.

What really helped was melatonin. We started giving it to our son in the fall

(about .25mg of a 1mm sublingual tablet cut into quarters). When we initially

started him at .5mg dose, he was having nightmares, but when we cut the dose in

half the nightmares ended. It is the only thing that helps him go to sleep

quickly when he goes to bed, and we have tried tons of other things (weighted

blanket, white noise, deep pressure, rocking, etc, etc).

Don't feel badly about wanting to run off somewhere where you can get a decent

night's sleep! It is a totally normal fantasy when you are utterly exhausted. In

fact, I know a woman whose requested only one thing for her birthday when her

kids were young - a night alone in a hotel so she could get a good night's

sleep(and she got it!).

Good luck,

Bridget

>

> 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]

Have you tried Melatonin for your child? My daughter doesn't sleep much either,

but my problem was on the other end. she wouldn't go to sleep and was really

difficult to wake up in the mornings.

I got the Melatonin from Trader Joe's, which is a very low dose chewable.

As for you, do you have some support? It sounds like you really need someone to

talk to, or some therapy. When you start thinking of abandoning your child, you

really should take care of yourself. You need to take care of you because you

need to be healthy in order to take care of your child. It sounds like you

really don't want to have those thoughts.

I have friends who " trained " their children to do other activities in the

morning until it was their official wake up time. Maybe you can try setting an

alarm and say you can't wake anyone up until that alarm goes off. Then give him

some choices of what he can do if he wakes up early. Watch tv, get a snack,

read, color, etc.

Personally, I get up at 5:30 or 6 to get ready for work, so I go to bed around 9

or 10. Are you staying up late, maybe you can adjust your bedtime so that 5:30

or 6 isn't a really early time, but becomes your routine. If you aren't getting

things done during the day, can you put them off? Can you get a babysitter to

come in for an hour or two so you can get what you need to get done and not have

to stay up late?

Most importantly, you need to take care of yourself or you aren't going to be

able to be a caretaker for anyone else. Nobody wants you in the hospital.

Good luck.

>

> 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]

Wow, when I read these posts it brings back so many memories. Some good, some not so good. The sleep issues we had too. Our son's dr. told us when he was 8 to give him benedryl before bedtime. We would put him to bed every night at 8 and when we went to bed at 10 or 11 he was still laying in bed talking to himself or signing etc. Well the benedryl made it worse!! He was us that night until about 2 in the morning talking non-stop. OMG! It was insane! Never did that again. The dr said this was a "paradoxical" affect some people have to those type of meds.

Anyway, they tried mirtrazapin and it helped a little, then more recently he was put on clonidine and it really works. Just a thought to consider talking to your son's dr about medication maybe. Some people are against meds, but my son sleeps better and therefor we sleep better and everyone is better off for it. ne

From: nicolea102602 <nicolea102602@...>Subject: ( ) Sleep issues Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011, 9:24 PM

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]

I have 4 small children, so believe me, I know sleep deprivation!

My son is 5.5 and he gets to bed 8-8:30 each night and wakes up about 6:30 am.

So, I'm not surprised that your son is waking up early if you are putting him to

bed at 6:30 pm.

What time are you going to bed? If it's really late maybe you need to rework

your chore schedule to try to get to bed earlier. You said you can't get things

done in the day - are you homeschooling?

What's he doing when he's awake? Is there something that he could do that

wouldn't involve you. e.g. could you train him to put the TV on in the morning

to keep himself entertained till you wake up.

As someone else said, you might be able to train him not to leave his room until

x time. My 4-year old has delays but can now tell when it's 6 am (or later).

Then she comes into my room saying " it's 8 " - she's still learning her numbers!

Anyway, do keep working at this, because 6 years without sleep is just not fair

to you at all - you can't function like that indefinitely.

>

> 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]

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]

My (10) has always woke up early- he wakes up at 4:30-5am but he knows

he is not allowed to play video games or turn tv on- we locked the cable box

with a password so he can't be sneaky. He is only allowed to read and he is

supposed to try and go back to sleep but rarely does.

My son cannot go to sleep without watching tv or reading books and has a lot of

anxiety. One thing that has been helpful is his Listening Program CDs before

bed. I plug him into his headphones and turn them off after he is asleep.

As the kids get older they do need less sleep- I would try to get him in bed

about 8:00 with some music or something. That is rough- take care of yourself!

>

> 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 have an early waker too. But he is 11 now, so he can watch TV until we want get up and join him. When he was younger, we would take turns on the weekend getting up with him. At least I got one day to sleep in that way. My son always had anxiety about going to sleep and being alone in his room. So I knew that once he woke up, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep by himself. Sometimes he will fall back asleep in our bed. Does that work with your son at all?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suzanne

suzmarkwood@...

From: bridget <beanniferj@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Sleep issues Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 5:20 PM

"He is a totally different kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that rarely happens."I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have said the same thing about our son (now 3 1/2)! A long time ago I read the book "Is Your Child Misbehaving or Just Missing Sleep" and agreed with the author completely that our child was indeed missing sleep - but her suggestions did not solve the problem for us. What really helped was melatonin. We started giving it to our son in the fall (about .25mg of a 1mm sublingual tablet cut into quarters). When we initially started him at .5mg dose, he was having nightmares, but when we cut the dose in half the nightmares ended. It is the only thing that helps him go to sleep quickly when he goes to bed, and we have tried tons of other things (weighted blanket, white noise, deep pressure, rocking, etc, etc). Don't feel badly about wanting to run off somewhere where you can get a decent night's

sleep! It is a totally normal fantasy when you are utterly exhausted. In fact, I know a woman whose requested only one thing for her birthday when her kids were young - a night alone in a hotel so she could get a good night's sleep(and she got it!).Good luck,Bridget>> 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]

Hello,

for the parents that have young children and decide to set something up to keep their child busy while they (parents) sleep longer. Don't forget to put something on your exit doors like bells or a door alarm just in case your younger child decides to go outside. just in case he/she forgot something out there or is looking for something missing or whatever reason they might need to go out side while your sleeping and they remembered not to wake you up.

just a thought - it's happened before on this site

Rose

From: bridget <beanniferj@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Sleep issues Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 5:20 PM

"He is a totally different kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that rarely happens."I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have said the same thing about our son (now 3 1/2)! A long time ago I read the book "Is Your Child Misbehaving or Just Missing Sleep" and agreed with the author completely that our child was indeed missing sleep - but her suggestions did not solve the problem for us. What really helped was melatonin. We started giving it to our son in the fall (about .25mg of a 1mm sublingual tablet cut into quarters). When we initially started him at .5mg dose, he was having nightmares, but when we cut the dose in half the nightmares ended. It is the only thing that helps him go to sleep quickly when he goes to bed, and we have tried tons of other things (weighted blanket, white noise, deep pressure, rocking, etc, etc). Don't feel badly about wanting to run off somewhere where you can get a decent night's

sleep! It is a totally normal fantasy when you are utterly exhausted. In fact, I know a woman whose requested only one thing for her birthday when her kids were young - a night alone in a hotel so she could get a good night's sleep(and she got it!).Good luck,Bridget>> 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]

My daughter did this while my husband was deployed and we put up alarms. They are easy peasy to install don't cost very much.

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 ----

( ) Re: Sleep issues

Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 5:20 PM

"He is a totally different kid when he gets about 12 hrs of sleep- but that rarely happens."

I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have said the same thing about our son (now 3 1/2)! A long time ago I read the book "Is Your Child Misbehaving or Just Missing Sleep" and agreed with the author completely that our child was indeed missing sleep - but her suggestions did not solve the problem for us. What really helped was melatonin. We started giving it to our son in the fall (about .25mg of a 1mm sublingual tablet cut into quarters). When we initially started him at .5mg dose, he was having nightmares, but when we cut the dose in half the nightmares ended. It is the only thing that helps him go to sleep quickly when he goes to bed, and we have tried tons of other things (weighted blanket, white noise, deep pressure, rocking, etc, etc).

Don't feel badly about wanting to run off somewhere where you can get a decent night's

sleep! It is a totally normal fantasy when you are utterly exhausted. In fact, I know a woman whose requested only one thing for her birthday when her kids were young - a night alone in a hotel so she could get a good night's sleep(and she got it!).

Good luck,

Bridget

>

> 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]

Good Morning a,

Like so many others, your post brings back many, not so fond memories. My oldest son has AS. He started out as the "dream baby" he slept through the night (11:00pm-6:00am) at one month. He took a morning nap and an mid afternoon nap and still slept through the night. Friends envied me. I thought, hey this is do-able. Then we celebrated his 9 month birthday. Remember those movies "Switched at Birth?" Well, I thought I was living "Switched in the Night" Suddenly I had the "demon child". He had the same sweet, loving face, but that was where the resemblance ended. He literally stopped sleeping! I was luck to get an hour nap in a 24 hour period. With the sleepless days and nights came the tantrums, irritability, hyperactivity, and who knows what else. No one listened. Everyone, doctors included insisted it was me. I remember after his second birthday, putting him in the car seat at night and just driving round and round, hoping for a miracle. After all every baby falls asleep at 2:00 in the morning when riding in a car after being up for 36 hours...NOT MINE!. We saw sleep specialists at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia who insisted that I was inaccurately reporting his sleep habits. To make the situation worse, I was in the middle of a high risk pregnancy and couldn't followup with the hospitalization for observation and testing they wanted me to do with my 2 year old because I found my self hospitalized instead.

Finally after the 10 week early pre-mature birth of my second son, once he was stable, I was able to spend the week in observation at CHoP with my almost three year old non-sleeper, who by this time was routinely pulling 36 hour marathons and actually peaking at 72 hours with no sleep followed by a 2 hour power nap and up for another 48 hours stint.

DS spent the day with therapists doing all kinds of activities, playing in the play room, joining in the preschool activities, swimming, playing in the ball pit, eating "regular" meals in the family room, as if we never had a "regular meal" in our house. Finally the therapist had to demonstrate how to "calm" him for the nighttime routine. We bathed him, listened to calming music, read a book, and settled down in a nice comfy bed with all his comforters from home--blankey, fav stuffed toy, fav book. And then they told me he would sleep. Yeah, right, All their hype and expertise was no better than mine. At least I got that last laugh.

Night 2 they wanted to do a brain scan. Not gonna happen. Even after drugging my toddler they only got 1.5 hours of sleep out of him. Not enough to track his sleep patterns.

Night 3 was a marathon

Same with night 4

Day 5 he passed out when he was sitting in story time 30 min and he was raring to go until they released us on day 6 with an acknowledgement to Mom that her reporting skills were not as inaccurate as they first believed. (closest thing to an apology I'd ever get) but I left me with a little satisfaction knowing I probably wasn't the worst mother in the world if the specialists couldn't get a toddler to sleep through the night in 6 days, they were no better than me.

We had our first night's sleep at the end of day 6 when they gave my son a little white "miracle" pill. It became our family's salvation for the next 6 years. That evening they did a trial of Clonadine. .5mg

After a hefty snack at 7:00 my son basically passed out and slept for the next 12 hours. When he woke up the next morning, I felt I had my baby back, He was more cheerful. Less cranky and the tantrums were less severe.

remained on Clonadine, the dose was adjusted as he gained weight until he was 9 years old. At that time we were able to ween him from the meds.

It literally changed out life. I'd give him the medication about 30 min to an hour before bedtime. It did make him extremely hungry. He'd eat a snack, we'd read a book together and then his eye would get heavy and he couldn't force himself to stay awake if he tried. If we needed to be out late, I'd have to adjust the medication time or he would fall asleep in a cub scout activity. But I got in the habit of carrying the meds with me, give him the med as we got in the car to leave Cub Scouts. He was ready for snack by the time we got home and tucked into bed shortly thereafter. We were always good for a minimum of 8 hours, but I'd have to wake him. He'd wake on his own in about 10 hours.

Over the years I received a multitude of criticism about "drugging" my child, And how I should have tried melatonin using something natural. Being the parent of an Aspie, and later a developmentally delayed ADHD second child, I learned you have to do what you have to do for you and your family. Melatonin did nothing to help my son. Benedryl wired him and kept him up even longer. Clonadine allowed my child to sleep. No I couldn't wake him and expect him to jump out of bed in less than 8 hours, but IMO all 3 year olds need a full 8 hours of sleep at night anyway. My answer for all the naysayers over the years was how can it be more healthy for a little boy to run in circles like a errant motor boat until the motor dies and they collapse getting 1-2 hours of exhausted sleep only to rev up and run on empty for another 35-72 hours and repeat the cycle for years on end? So if a little dose of clonadine slowed my child's nervous system to a point that allowed his body to relax and get true rest....so be it.

Today he is a healthy 19 year old. He remembers the clonadine. But it's been years since he took his last dose. He is maintaining a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute where he's studying to become a Systems Administrator. He has already pass 4 or the 6 Microsoft He is learning to live with and accept his AS. Recently he told me if he could change, he wouldn't want to stop being Aspergers! His reasons he loves how he sees the world, and it's ok if others don't fully understand him, he can't understand them at times either. But AS allows him to see the world in a different light. This statement really amazed me. Wow really gave me something to think about.

My prayers are with you as you seek what is best for you and your little guy. I've been there and my heart truly understands what you are going through!

Blessings,

Tricia

--------original message-------

1a. Sleep issues Posted by: "nicolea102602" nicolea102602@... nicolea102602 Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:06 am (PST)

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).

[Guest guest]

What about a mothers day out program or something for your 3 year old? If you had a couple of days to yourself you would get a lot more chores done, and that would allow you to go to bed earlier. Also try to find a chore that your husband hates to see not done. I found that if I don't touch the dishwasher, my husband will eventually pack it. Now he's in the habit, he packs it every evening, so that's one less thing for me to do. I don't know why men think that they should just put their feet up when they come home, and us SAH moms are running around all day, all evening, and all weekend trying to get everything done.I'm not sure what a good nite lite is. My son has a lamp that clips on to his headboard. We put a low wattage night light bulb in it. My son will often 'read' until he falls asleep, or look at coloring books (he hates to color, but

loves looking at coloring books!). Also he listens to his classical music CD.I know what you mean about having two in the room together. Our two littlest ones share a room. The baby wakes up in the night and cries, which cues the 3-year old to wake up crying and demand to sleep in our bed.From: nicolea102602 <nicolea102602@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Sleep issues Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 9:16 AM

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]

my boyfriend son 14 he wakes up so early so can eat breakfast early lol at nite he has to read himself to sleep i don't know if this common he so restless even when he is sleeping the early riser can be rough on the family with watching tv sometimes too loud . our problem is he wakes up so early and is still late for the bus i probably didnt help but i know how you feelFrom: nicolea102602 <nicolea102602@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Sleep issues Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 3:16 PM

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.

> >

>