Sleeping help!

[Renie P]

Hello everybody! I'm looking for autistic experiences and feedback to help my daughter with sleeping issues. My 6 y.o. Asd daughter has woken up early (3 am ish) forever. We have seemingly tried everything to get her to sleep later (yes, we have tried later bedtime, etc). She hates being alone and would prefer to sleep with me,but even when she does she still wakes up between 2 and 4, and will not go back to sleep. The first issue is,she seemingly does not get enough sleep,she will fall back asleep mid morning if not active. It's seems like 3 is her body's natural wake time,yet she is sleepy and complains of being tired during the day. Second issue, is that when she wakes she is insistent that I get up with her,and start our day. We have tried tablet/iPad, tv, favorite snack and other favorite toys to keep her busy so we can get a little more sleep(I am not looking to sleep in, just sleeping to 4:30 or 5am would be fine) She is really loud waking up her sister and father( who has intense work schedule and going to school), and being awake since 2-4 am everyday is starting to affect my health because of underlying medical conditions; even trying to go to bed same time as her isn't working, my circadian rhythm is seemingly not adjusting. If anybody has had these experiences would love some insight on how to help this situation so we can all be happy and healthy! Thanks.

 

[OkRad]

Hello everybody! I'm looking for autistic experiences and feedback to help my daughter with sleeping issues. My 6 y.o. Asd daughter has woken up early (3 am ish) forever. We have seemingly tried everything to get her to sleep later (yes, we have tried later bedtime, etc). She hates being alone and would prefer to sleep with me,but even when she does she still wakes up between 2 and 4, and will not go back to sleep. The first issue is,she seemingly does not get enough sleep,she will fall back asleep mid morning if not active. It's seems like 3 is her body's natural wake time,yet she is sleepy and complains of being tired during the day. Second issue, is that when she wakes she is insistent that I get up with her,and start our day. We have tried tablet/iPad, tv, favorite snack and other favorite toys to keep her busy so we can get a little more sleep(I am not looking to sleep in, just sleeping to 4:30 or 5am would be fine) She is really loud waking up her sister and father( who has intense work schedule and going to school), and being awake since 2-4 am everyday is starting to affect my health because of underlying medical conditions; even trying to go to bed same time as her isn't working, my circadian rhythm is seemingly not adjusting. If anybody has had these experiences would love some insight on how to help this situation so we can all be happy and healthy! Thanks.

If you want sleep help, I may be useful. I have battled such serious insomnia I almost died from it. So I had to take massively radical steps because the meds were starting to work opposite. No meds were working because my brain was on fire and about to kick. So I had to go very radical to survive.

There are some things that can help if you get radical about it.
1. When sun goes down TURN OFF ALL LIGHTS AND COMPUTERS AND TABLETS AND CUT OFF THE WIRELESS AND EVEN CUT THE ELECTRIC in her room. I am not joking. Go back to cave man days, like camping. You can look up how camping reset the circadian rhythym perfectly if people did it. Do this for about a week or two. This alone may help.

2. Go outside when the sun comes up and walk her around so the sunlight hits her eyes early in the morning. This will help reset the melotonin and help the circadian to readjust.

3. Sometimes supplements can help. If she is young and no allergies, can you give her chamomille tea around 6pm? I have also use 5http but she is a child, so I would not . I have used melatonin, too and that helps, but if she is a child and autistic, use caustion.

Also, when you cut the lights and everythuing, be very calm and gentle and make it a game. She will probably LOVE the idea of camping inside. You can even get those tents beds to make it fun.

Try the tea and the camping and let me know how it goes!!!!! It saved my life. I did take other supplements for adults like GABA and L-theanine BUT THEY DID NOT WORK UNTIL MY BRAIN SETTLED. The only way I could get it to settle was what I did above and I cannot recommend anything for a kid.

I HOPE SHE IS OK and let me know!! Here are a few articles:

Trouble Sleeping? Go Camping

How A Week Of Camping Resets The Body Clock

 

[Judge]

I would think to first consider what foods she eats/drinks. Sugar content, etc. Whatever may or may not constitute a stimulant or even the effect food additives can have on children.

I've always been sensitive to such things myself, and usually pay a price in lost sleep just for consuming the wrong things in large amounts.

 

[Guppyfry]

Not sure if I can help, but it might be interesting for you to know that I'm 54, and I wake up around 3 am almost every single night, and cannot go back to sleep. I will be getting tired and ready to get back to bed around 6 or 7 am, but then, I have to get to work.

My first thought for your daughter is as Judge said, watch her diet. If I beat depression and anxiety, it was through a change of diet going high-protein, very low carb. I haven't had pasta in years, but I have to admit I like my chocolate and ice-cream, and once in a while, I'll grab a sandwich when I'm on the go.

Exercise. Full days with lots to do, I sleep better.

But mostly, I catch up on my sleep on weekends. Not giving a lot of help, but it might be interesting to know that this may be nothing that you have or have not done, just the way her body and mind is wired.

 

[toothless]

i have had very severe insomnia since a baby,i struggle to sleep,and once asleep; have always woke up around 4am and wake up regulary afterwards-sometimes unable to go back to sleep so i pestered my parents or support staff to do something for me.
nothing has helped me apart from melatonin,but when i got sectioned into a UK intellectual disability secure hospital for four months i ended up being taken off melatonin and put on a useless sedative called zopiclone,and afterwards the UK doctors said they cant prescribe melatonin to a young adult as its only licenced for under 18s and over 50s [i think].

another medication that has helped stabilize my sleep better [but not completely] is an old anti depressant called amitriptaline, you take it at night because of the sedatory affect.
im on it for severe nerve damage but it seems to help with sleep a bit.

my new pyschiatrist has said he is writing to my GP to ask him to consider putting me on melatonin again as he said GPs can legally choose to do it 'off licence' under special circumstances,i am still waiting to hear back from them.

years ago,perhaps age 24,i had a three night EEG in hospital to see if my self injurous behaviors were part of my epilepsy as i was non verbal at the time and unable to tell them how i really felt, the letter we got from the EEG said it wasnt my epilepsy-as i knew,but also i was not getting to the third sleep cycle but it was subclinical-or something like that, so perhaps your daughter is like me and is struggling to meet the 3rd or 4th cycle,which you need to get a deep sleep and recover properly from the day.

sleep higeine has helped me a little, you make sure the bedroom is only for sleep, put up black out blinds,paint the walls a non stimulatory colour such as white and use things like lavender sprays on the pillow, or have one of those essential oil machines that continuously pump out lavender or other oils you choose.
ive worn very good ear plugs since a child also as any little tiny sound makes me awake,but it took me a long time to get used to wearing them,perhaps this is an option for your daughter? as a 33 year old now, ear plugs are just like a part of my ear, i dont really feel them anymore.

another thing i do before sleep is i stop using my laptop a while before and i just chill out watching tv,i did that as a child, my parents stopped me from using my games consoles at a specific time,and i know this wont apply to your daughter but i stop drinking anything that has a lot of sugar in or caffeine in at 5pm in the evening.

i have extremely heightened anxiety which triggers challenging behaviors so i am on multiple drugs including haloperidol and lorazepam and they help calm my brain but so does smoking CBD oil to an extent which i use on top when the haloperidol isnt working-i often smoke this if i wake up,i know this wouldnt be an option for your child though.

 

[Suzanne]

What with excellent advice regarding sleep, I won't add, because there is nothing to add to excellent advice lol but I would like to address her loudness, which is not acceptable.

I get loud too, when animated or angry and my husband might say: you are not in the other room now, darling and that does make me sort of wake up to the notion I am being loud, or he flaps his hand up and down. Yes, it is frustrating to me, but I do recognise and feel embarrassed for being so loud and do lower my voice. It seems rather strange that I can lower my voice, despite not being aware that I am loud, but it does happen like that.

Just because your daughter has aspergers, does not mean that one has to cowtow to her. She can learn to adapt up to a certain point and it is surely not acceptable that she expects her parents to get up with her and by doing so, in fact, a selfishnes is being created.

So, she needs to learn that her voice is not acceptable at that volume and work out a way to get her to quieten down. You could say: shhh teddy or dolly is saying something, I can't hear or something like that.

 

[Renie P]

Thank you so much everyone for your informative and thoughtful answers! Definitely gives me more insight and some new ideas to try.

 

[artfull dodger]

I am professionaly diagnosed with Asperger's and have always had trouble sleeping, espically during the summer time when there was only a sheet on the bed. A weighted blanket was the solution for me and is highly recommend for most autistics to help calm the bodies senses and allow the mind to stay asleep thru the night. I got mine thru Mosaic Blankets, they have an excellent website and it explains how to size the blankets weight properly. They also have lap blankets, vests and other weighted stuff. The quality is excellent and I sleep under it every single night, and if I am on the verge of a meltdown at home, I can go wrap myself in it and watch TV in bed to calm down. Mike

 

[Cinnamon115]

I also have sleep problems and I have found that the best thing for me to do is to stop using electronics about two hours before I go to sleep. That helps more than anything.

 

[Lady Penelope]

I am professionaly diagnosed with Asperger's and have always had trouble sleeping, espically during the summer time when there was only a sheet on the bed. A weighted blanket was the solution for me and is highly recommend for most autistics to help calm the bodies senses and allow the mind to stay asleep thru the night. I got mine thru Mosaic Blankets, they have an excellent website and it explains how to size the blankets weight properly. They also have lap blankets, vests and other weighted stuff. The quality is excellent and I sleep under it every single night, and if I am on the verge of a meltdown at home, I can go wrap myself in it and watch TV in bed to calm down. Mike

I've been interested in weighted blankets as i too cannot sleep with just a sheet .. too light...but in summer a full doona is too hot.
I am concerned the weighted blankets will be too hot to sleep under.
Can you provide a heat review?

 

[Keigan]

I've always had sleep issues and basically if I get 3 hours of sleep each night I'm doing pretty well.

I've just started using an IOS app called BrainWaves and it is working for me, for the first time in my life I am sleeping more than a few hours.

 

[Full Steam]

Many chemical imbalances can mess with circadian rhythm.

I've been through gene and blood testing, supplementing and diet control.

I sleep fine now, and I think my daughter sleeps better, whether that's age or diet or supplements I don't know.

We are both low in zinc, and B12 and B6. Supplementing B vitamins and removing gluten, preservative and colours and other crap might help.

Low sugar is probably a good idea too, and not eating just before bed.

 

[Keigan]

@Full Steam ,

You are describing a Keto Diet or Primal Diet.

 

[Full Steam]

@Full Steam ,

You are describing a Keto Diet or Primal Diet.

Not exactly.

I still eat carbs like rice and potatoes, so not ketogenic, and I eat pulses and beans which the pale guys don't.

I've tried ketogenic diets and they are not for me.