Hi, have you tried 432Hz and organic Essential oils ( aromatherapy)? They have a variety of oil aromatherapy diffusers some even with led lighting effects.There mixed reviews on white noise and machines. This has been a lifesaver for me. My sons teacher ask me why he dont sleep in the beginning of the school year and I told her because he normally listening to 432Hz or rain music to sleep. Now its part of the class routine at naptime and all of the children relax and sleep to it during nap. I would not recommend melatonin because on a daily basis it can have withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and headaches.

Long term effects are overlooked for short term relief all the time specially here on MAT and by most parents of autistic kids. However, cant deny the benefits of good sleep either. Do whats right for you and your family. ABA -he maybe overloaded. If E is overloaded she will yawn and be sleepy even with a good nights rest. The brain is shutting down and not by choice. Long term effects of that are harmful for the child.

Its not a drug. I have been concerned about younger children using it because they are not supposed to but maybe they have new forms these days. Its the only thing i can use to sleep and its been a miracle for my son but he doesnt always need it anymore. Alot of parents are looking for ways to help THEM get sleep but sometimes its just a rough road for a while and you have to stay the course. Parents freak out that their kids is up in the middle of the night and want to shut it down, but thats part of what happens with a brain disorder and everyone wants a quick fix and normal life, but thats not reality.

Try some sleepy time tea and maybe one of those color changing diffusers that put out cold vapor. Use lavender in it for the calming effect. Try and make this a nightly ritual. Watching the color changing lights may help lull your Son to sleep.

I wanted to follow up on my response. After reading everyone's posts, I researched again and learned more than I had before about melatonin. It is a hormone raising concerns, in part, that it may affect puberty/reproductive issues later. I have chosen to stop daily doses and only use if my son's clock gets topsy turvy. I didn't dose him last night and he did struggle a bit to get to sleep but then did and is sleeping still with no wake ups. Let me add that we do also use white noise. A fan on high setting. If it is any lower my son notices and says it's 'not working'...LOL. BTW..I love the aromatherapy idea!!! Will have to try! Have an awesome day!