Helping My Autistic Son Sleep

hello

If you are needing more info. contact me. My friend has a son that is autistic and I can get you two in contact.

I can totally relate! My two boys are on the autism spectrum (asperger's syndrome-one diagnosed & one suspected) and sleep has always been an issue. We are currently going to occupational therapy for my oldest and I believe his sensory system is to blame for the sleeplessness. The OT has him on a sensory diet (sensory input on a specific schedule) and he does excercises when he comes home from school - mostly core strenghthening and rough and tumble stuff, and again at night before bed - less rough and tumble, more calming. We also hung a sheet from the ceiling around his bed so it creates a defined space for his sleeping area. Keeping his bedtime routine consistent is also key. All of this has helped, and I can really tell when we don't follow the program. I've also heard of weighted blankets helping, but we haven't tried that yet. a friend also e-mailed me recently that therapeutic grade essential oils like lavender stimulate areas of the brain that are underdeveloped in autism and can help calm kids down...I've heard controversy about using essential oils on kids, so I'd check with your doc first before trying this. I hope this helps! Feel free to e-mail me. I know it helps to have someone to talk to when navigating autism! Good luck!

Ugh. I SO feel your pain. My four year old daughter -- also with autism -- gets up in the middle of the night, every night. It's bad enough for the parents when these kids don't sleep. Then, when children with autism are overtired, it exacerbates all of the negative behaviors. I know that the exhaustion also makes it more difficult for my daughter to learn all the good stuff she's being taught in her therapies and in her special ed class.

All that said...keep the bedtime and the daily routine in general consistent. That is the most important thing for my daughter. I know consistency isn't always possible, what with changing school placements and travel and so forth, but I try my best to keep her on a regular schedule.

Next, speak with Elijah's pediatrician or a developmental behavior specialist about the problem. My kiddo is on melatonin, but it's under the direction of a ped developmental specialist - I would not try it on my own! Plus, to be honest, I haven't seen much difference over the past three months she's been taking the melatonin. Who knows, maybe it works for your kiddo, though.

My daughter is on the GF/CF diet that seems to be all the rage among families with autism. This HAS helped her fall asleep faster, but staying asleep all night is still a challenge.

Good luck and hang tough, mama.

C.,
Many children are able to function better and calm down in many ways when they get the chemicals out of their home. I am partnered with a 23 year old Wellness Company that has wellness products without any chemicals that are very affordable. Please email me at ____@____.com and I can give you more information and you can call me if you would like at ###-###-####.....Blessings
L.

I'm raising my two grandkids, both on the spectrum. The oldest has Autistic Disorder and sleeps very well taking Melatonin, an over the counter supplement, but it is regulated by his doctor. He takes 3 mg. I go to Autism Society of IL chapter meetings and they highly recommended it.
The other child does not sleep taking Melatonin so his doctor put him on Chlonidine. This works pretty well for him but it is a prescription. There is one more prescription medication that doctors prescribe but I can't remember the name. Maybe one of the other mom's will.
Sleep is very important to your child's development and he will do much better if he can get a good night's sleep every night. Talk to your doctor about it. You need your sleep too. I would also recommmend you attend your local Autism chapter meetings. They meet once a month and you can find your nearest chapter location online. http://autismillinois.org/chapterinfo.aspx. There is a large, and still growing, support network for caregivers of Autistic spectrum children. Little Friends of Naperville would be a good source to tap into also. They have a lot of training sessions available and some are free. You also want to get on the PUNS (DHS)list in order to get a children's waiver. This will get you money for services for your little guy. Feel free to email me if you have questions and God bless you.

Hi C. -
I have 3 autism spectrum kids - try a sound machine. You could probably get one from walmart or elsewhere. It comes with a projecting blue light which works double as a nightlight. My son (9) loves the sound of a waterfall and my daughter (2) loves the ocean. Just a thought.

Lili B's comment was very good and it will definitely help. From a nutritional standpoint, 65% of autistic kids will improve on a gluten-free/casein-free diet. I am not sure if you are trying to change his diet, but that is a large percentage and it will really improve his quality of life in all areas.

If you need some nutrtional guidance, I have some handouts I can email to you when trying to read ingredient labels and were to find those foods for your son. Feel free to email me personally and I will email them to you if you are interested.

God Bless you and your family.

J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant

Hello C.,
My son Alex is also Autistic and is going to 5 the end of November. I read a book called 10 Things Every Autistic Child Wants you to Know and it was so informative and helpful. Also to help him sleep there is an all natural sleep aid called Melatonin it is available in 3Mg or 5Mg I give my son 3mg when he is really fired up in the evening and it works great. He sleeps 7 - 8 hours and is bright and alert in the morning. It is best not to give it every night, just because they will build up a tolerance to it and then it will no longer work. I crush it up between two spoons and mix in with his milk. I hope this help.
S. T.

This 'trick' has helped my clients help their children calm & sleep.
EFT is a simple and effective technique that clears the energy meridians~the basis for acupuncture. You use your fingertips to lightly tap on designated points on the head, chest & hands.
You can learn EFT in classes offered at wellness centers or hospitals.
You can find more info through emofree.com or feel free to message me.

Hi C.,

My family's thoughts are with you and Elijah. Actress Jenny McArthy's son was diagnosed with autism years ago and her son is now in remission due to a complete diet change and supplements. I've heard many success stories in the last 2-3 years. She just wrote a book, I believe the title is either Mother Warriors. In it she talks about everything she went through, as well as letting families dealing with autism know where she received the best info and everything she attempted. I wish I knew more, but I feel reading her book may help ease this transition.

You will get alot of advice about cutting out stuff in the diet but I really can't sayenough about eliminating red #40. My daughter was a perfectly healthy beautiful kid who sloept through the night from 2 months old and all of a sudden she stopped sleeping except for 3 or 4 hours a night. No naps and it was making me NUTS!!! We had a little girl in our church who was allergic to red dye (majorly including self abusive behavior) so we had always avoided red dye. However after the no sleeping thing we found out the baysitter thought we were nuts and were being silly so she would give her red koolaid during the day and not tell us. Once we got that remidied she went back to sleeping 12 hours a nght. My other two were a little worse with the red dye so we were very careful and now
they have outgrown it mostly unless it is something that is red only like hawaian punch (nothing but sugar and dye or red lollipops. Give it a try if it isn't what works at least it was worth a try. I will be praying for you too becasue there is nothing harder than not being able to sleep.

You may want to ask your doctor about a supplemental vitamin called Melatonin, a friend of mine gives it to her four year old and it works wonders. Her doctor said that it would not harm him in anyy way. My son who has asburgers is on medication for his highs and lows and it helps him sleep. I was against it from the beginning but given the situation I had to cave in. Anyway it helps him sleep too

From the autistic/aspergers online group that I read, melatonin has seemed to do wonders for alot of kids with sleeping problems.

Hi C.,

I work as a special education consultant. I saw many pieces of advice in regards to overall suggestions, all of which you may try in time. I am a big supporter of anything natural that you can do to help your son's sensory and immune system.

A great quick fix might be a weighted blanket. You have to be careful on how you use the weighted blanket, just to assure you don't desensitize your son from using it too much. With a regular routine/schedule of using the weighted blanket (usually to go to sleep and then removed after 20-30 minutes) his sensory system may calm down enough to get some good zzzzz's. Parents have also mentioned it works wonders in the middle of the night or early in the a.m. to catch some more shut eye.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you want more information. Many mom's of children with ASD make these type of weighted products for a reasonable price and I am more than willing to find you those resources in the area.

Best Wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!