Bedtime - Help!

[irish dancer]

I have often read about bedtime issues with ASD kids but I never paid much attention since we were lucky and DS6 went to bed easily and slept through the night no problem.

Well......we've entered a new era and can't get DS6 to go to sleep. It seemed to start during the winter and I figured it was because we were cooped up inside and weren't getting enough fresh air/exercise. Well, it is now spring and there has been much more outside time but he just doesn't go to sleep when put to bed. We tried going to a bit longer/set bedtime routine and that seemed to work for a week or so but now we're back to the same old issues. Tonight it was 2 1/2 hours after he was put to bed and I had to sit on the end of his bed to make sure he went to sleep. I know this is going to impact his day tomorrow and I just dread the ordeal and feel sorry for his teacher.

Anyone have tricks or ideas?

 

[mamaminnie]

Have you tried a chart? List the things you need to do (and the times to do them) for example: 7:30, bath time, 8:00 put on pajamas, 8:15 brush teeth, ending with bedtime and go to sleep

let your ds earn a star for each completed task and at the end of a week or a month provide a prize-- for my ds it would be a trip to the video game store and a new game-- but use what works for your ds.

I find this sort of thing very effective for my ASD 8 yo.

HTH

 

[cymomtx]

Melotonin and then Seroquil were the only answers for my DD10. Last year she never recovered from daily light savings. This year it started the first weekend of spring break and it went much better.

 

[gillenkl]

we use melatonin also.

 

[minkydog]

Another vote for Melatonin. Christian went through this about a year ago where he got his days and nights mixed up. He'd stay up playing until 3-4am, then couldn't get up and go to school. My DH & I couldn't keep up with him! He was wrecking the whole family. We tried Melatonin and that stuff was like a miracle. I worked from the first night. Yay for melatonin!

 

[Dis1978]

Melatonin was brilliant . Unfortunately it stops working after a few weeks, even when the dose is upped, and then my DS has to have a break from it. After a break it works again. Strange but true. Doc says this happens to quite a lot of the kids on melatonin.