I’m Desperate For Sleep Help! | MyAutismTeam

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I’m Desperate For Sleep Help!
A MyAutismTeam Member asked a question 💭

I have two sons with Autism (but 4 sons total). This is not my 1st rodeo with sleep issues as it took forever to get our older son with ASD to sleep all night. Our 2 yr old son with ASD is up every 2-3 hours all night long and has been this way since birth. This is especially hard since we just had a new baby and the baby sleeps more than our 2 yr old! He wakes up for no reason and is sometimes just wide awake. Sometimes will go back to sleep after 10 minutes, sometimes after 2-3hrs… read more

posted May 24, 2015
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A MyAutismTeam Member

You may want to consider adding GABA to melatonin. Many of our kids have less GABA than they need. Just in case you haven't read about this yet, GABA and glutamine are 2 neurotransmitters that need to be in balance, with the short summary being we need GABA for relaxation and language, and glutamine for alertness. With such a little guy, you may start with 250 mg GABA (we use a capsule, and dissolve in water. Slight sweetish taste). Good luck.

posted May 26, 2015
A MyAutismTeam Member

I would check iron / ferritin levels. There is an old study published that correlated iron deficiency to sleep issues in ASD and this improved with iron supplementation. Most kids whether NT or ASD will have iron deficiency and more true for for ASD given picky diet. Worth a try.

Co sleeping would be my other suggestion. We did that till our son was 4 years old and even if he for up at night, he would go back to sleep himself without waking us up.

posted May 26, 2015
A MyAutismTeam Member

My two year old just went through a non sleeping good stage. What worked for us was a weighted blanket. I got it on etsy. She's sleeping much better. After 1-2 weeks with it, she's sleeping through the night. I also do a lot of heavy work with her throughout the day. Brushing and joint compressions 3x day. You can also try lavender and vetiver with coconut oil on the bottom of his feet.

posted May 29, 2015
A MyAutismTeam Member

I went through sleepness nights with Bailey when she first moved in with me. Up at 1-2 am every night and would not go back to sleep. I also had to rock her to sleep at bedtime, while singing and reading stories.
Melatonin (liquid) was started about 2 months later, and it helped her falling asleep, but still waking in the middle of the night.
Three months later we finally had our appointment with a Developmental Pediatrician, who prescribed Clonidine 0.1 mg. She takes it an hour before bedtime and sleeps all night. It has been a life saver for me. She's been on it for 2 years now, and during the holidays I did not give it to her one night to see if she still needs it, and she was awake at 1 am and would not go back to sleep. Clonidine is definately helping her get a good nights sleep.

posted May 26, 2015
A MyAutismTeam Member

My 5 year-old ASD daughter has been a poor sleeper on and off for her entire life. Melatonin may as well as be M&Ms to her. Playing outside helps somewhat as I rarely see a lot of kids out unlike when I was a kid. Natural sunlight helps set the biological clock. Exercise is also good as everyone eventually gets tired. We crank up the AC at night as it is more comfortable.

posted May 25, 2015

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