Our Developmental Pediatrician has my son on 1/2 tablet (2.5mg) of melatonin each night. It's a very small dose and just enough for him to relax, drift off to sleep and get through the night. Very often children with autism have a seratonin imbalance which causes them either to have difficulty falling asleep and/or waking up in the middle of the night ready to start the day (both of which I was experiencing). I'd talk to your doctor about the melatonin and see what he/she thinks. Please do not start any type of supplement without asking them first. Hope this helps!

Same issues here until our Developmental pediatrician told us about Melatonin each night. You can even buy it in a liquid. There are some who say it's bad but melatonin is produced in the body naturally. Your child just may not have a enough. We have been using it for years on our 5 year old Autistic son. Works like a charm.

Also, many people may disagree but our child won't do anything until he is ready. He just now will fall asleep on his own. We had to hold him until just a few months ago when I asked for him to go up to bed. I have to go with him but at least he is not falling asleep on me then I have to carry him up the steps. he is too big for that now. Same issues with giving up the bottle, wearing underware any type of transitions were hard and he would not do until he was ready or he would cry and scream until he threw up all over the place and cry and scream some more.

I don't know if this is something you want to hear; but my son had the same issue for years. He would bounce and jump and babble around all night long- every single night. ALL NIGHT- EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. We finally resorted to giving him medication (Clonadine and Melatonin) each night at bedtime. Now he's out like a light within 15 minutes or so. Our lives got WAY better, and it's healthier for him too.

If she has sensory issues as well a weighted blanket might help.

@A MyAutismTeam Member - ask your regular pediatrician for a local recommendation on developmental pediatricians. Our ped was actually the one who said we needed to see one when signs of autism were developing. The dev ped is the one who diagnosed our son with ASD. If you have a Children's Hospital nearby you can usually find one there. That is where ours is located.

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