I'm sure this has been discussed over and over again, but hope you'll give me the benefit of your accumulated wisdom!
DS2 (3 yrs old with speech delay and autistic traits including sensory difficulties)finds it very hard to settle to sleep. We follow the same routine every night: BIBIC sensory programme (which he enjoys),bath, milk, stories, bed. However tired he is, and however calm and relaxed he's been downstairs, the minute he hits the bed it's as if someone's revved him up. He starts pelvic thrusting the mattress (sorry, but that's exactly what it looks like) and making excited squeals. The minute I leave the room, he's out of bed, running up and down, getting every toy off the shelf, playing with it for a few seconds the discarding it on the floor. We have a stairgate on his door, but leave the door ajar as he doesn't call out if he's distressed. He comes to the barrier frequently,pushes the door wide open and looks over it. If we say 'Go to bed Henry'(or even just look at him sternly) he runs back into bed, but a few seconds later the whole process starts again. He's never distressed, just really excited.
I've tried staying with him until he falls asleep, but the problem is that this doesn't work until he's at least a bit relaxed. Before that he just wriggles and pushes me away. We tried a musical toy that plays lullabies, but it just made him more excited. Singing him lullabies myself used to work, but doesn't any more. In fact, I would say the problem has got steadily worse over the last six months or so.
I realise that we're lucky as once he is asleep, he usually sleeps through the night. He only sleeps for about 9-10 hours a day however, so if he has a daytime nap we're stuffed!
Any ideas anyone? I'd just like my evening back!
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settling to sleep
3 replies
sphil · 01/11/2005 22:41
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