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My son (5) has severe autism ,down syndrome, and most likely ADHD. He gets really wound up when we put him to bed, and he jumps all over in bed, makes lots of noise (not crying, just his non-verbal jibberish).
I have done melatonin(dr. suggestion), I occasionally do benedryl. (when he's extremely wild) they seem to help him fall asleep, but it still takes 1-2 hours and he doesn't stay asleep for long. He's usually up by 2 am and making lots of noise again.
I have had him on a preservative, sugar, dairy and wheat free diet for a few months now,and it seemed to help at first, but not he's not sleeping again.
Warm baths , lullabyes, snack before bed have all been tried, nothing helps.
He has a dr. appt next month and I'm going to ask for more suggestions. But thought I'd check here first. Do any of you have suggestions for kids that do not sleep?
I am not a big fan of medicating kids, but I wonder if he could get something to sleep, it would help my son's daytime behavior and focusing ability at school?
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I think behaviors that are only at bed time are often rooted in anxiety. We have a 3 year old who was a lot like that until recently. We moved her into an adjoining room where she could see us and things got a lot better. Anything you can think of that would make bedtime less lonely and scary might be worth trying.
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This may seem odd, but there is something called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy that seems to have a good effect. You can find info here: [url=http://mendingautism.com/articles/autism-and-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/]Autism and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy[/url] Just to give you an idea. I haven't had any personal experience with this, although my mother is trying this therapy for treatment of her brain cancer. If it's available in your area, it would be something to look into, at the least.Good luck!
Nevada Jen
I second the above poster. Also, autistic kids need to take huge doses of melatonin to have an effect. They also make extended release melatonin. But honestly, with that combination of diagnosies, I think "normal" would be clonidine.
cvalda
This may seem odd, but there is something called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy that seems to have a good effect. You can find info here: [url=http://mendingautism.com/articles/autism-and-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/]Autism and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy[/url] Just to give you an idea. I haven't had any personal experience with this, although my mother is trying this therapy for treatment of her brain cancer. If it's available in your area, it would be something to look into, at the least.
Good luck!
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kishkan
When my son moved in and couldn't sleep, one of the first things I bought him was a Sansa Fuze video player. I uploaded a bunch of cartoons on it and he used it every night while in bed. It worked very well. I don't know much about the Autism aspect but it could be a cheap try.
AmyinWI
Believe it or not, I have actually been reading about that for autism treatment. I've been trying to find a provider that is not too far away , that takes insurance but I don't know if any of them do.
I took my son to the ped and she suggested trying valerian root. So I have started him on that since monday, he seems to be sleeping a little better, still takes a good 2 hours to fall asleep though.
Anyone have experience with it?
If we don't see good results in a few months of adjusting the dose, the next step she suggested would be clonidine.
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Not a fan of Valerian root. My recollection is that it is pretty toxic. Probably no worse than clondine if you are getting Valerian Root with a high level of purity in the manufacturing and packaging process, but I just never felt comfortable that I could assure I was getting it from a good source. If you don't get the results you want from it pretty fast, I would call back and request the clonodine. As a fellow insomniac, I can tell you its really not fair for him to suffer when there is an option that would alleviate it.
Is it possible to just physically tire him out during the day? We've had to do this with our son. He's 6 now, but over the past few years we'd take him out for a long (like 1 mile) walk before bedtime. Now that he's older we take him outside as much as possible, although it's a hassle to do this constantly. He'll be in his little pool for an hour or two, come in for dinner, and then we bike ride over to the playground and stay there a few hours. It's about a mile each way. The fresh air and phisical exertion are the only things that work. He just doesn't get tired otherwise. And when he has too much excess energy he makes a whole lotta trouble. Maybe there's a field nearby where your son can kick a ball around? Or is there a place to hike? Maybe he is just not tired out enough for bedtime. Rachael
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My oldest daughter (9 1/2) has ADHD and takes Concerta upon waking and takes Clonidine at night. We had previously used Melatonin and found it worked quite well for her. But, I do know of some children who use it who wake up a few hours after having taken it. A friend of mine has a child with autism, and this has been her experience as well.
Some things we have established into her routine:
1) No caffeine after 5:00 p.m. She rarely gets pop anyway, but she does love chocolate, and now it is very limited.
2) No screens after 7:00 p.m. (No TV, computer, Nintendo DS, etc.) She can use this time to read, draw or do crafts.
3) She takes her Clonidine at 8:15 p.m., and then she goes into her room to read. I realize this is an early bedtime for an almost 10-year old, but she needs lots of sleep or we pay dearly the next day. lol If we keep to this strict routine, she is usually asleep by 8:45 p.m.
At this point, we are expecting an increase in her Concerta because the positive effects seen previously are just not lasting.
It's so hard when children (and parents) don't get the sleep they need.
Hope your ped. is able to offer some suggestions. :)
I have 2 children with autism. Both have taken Clonidine for sleep disorders. It has changed our lives for the better. I wasnt thrilled with medicating them but after a while we were all losing our minds without sleeping regularly. I suggest you try it.Its a pretty commonly given med for kiddos with autism and sleep issues.