My twins are 4, they have always had major sleep issues - they were both diagnosed with ASD at 2 and it’s always just been put down to that. DT2 struggles more - he is often awake from 11pm - 5am which was difficult before but now they’ve just started at a specialist school and we are having major sleep issues. He was referred to the sleep clinic but of course it’s been postponed until next Spring due to COVID. Paediatrician won’t give melatonin - local policy is sleep clinic must do it.
He was in a relatively good patch until the end of last week when he fell asleep on the minibus coming back from school and since then it’s been hell.
Once he’s been asleep in the day even for 5 mins, he can’t sleep at night. Last night he screamed until gone 11pm no matter what we tried. Clearly exhausted but couldn’t sleep. Then his twin woke up until 2am - he sleeps better at the moment but all that screaming could wake the dead I reckon.
I know some people order melatonin from the US and give that but I’m reluctant without medical advice. We do have some phenergan liquid (drowsy antihistamine) that we got when they had chicken pox and the GP said it was fine to give them. It’s taken a lot of willpower not to give him that many times over the last year but I never have. Now I’m tempted to give it to try and get him back into going to sleep at the right time so he gets enough rest and isn’t exhausted and having meltdowns at school.
Various professionals have tried to help with sleep and we’ve tried every behavioural, sleep hygiene, routine based change possible. Nothing works.
We would have been seen by the sleep clinic earlier this month and I’m absolutely gutted not to have their input already, especially when it’s impacting their time at school.
I don’t even know why I’m posting other then to vent. Has anyone been in a situation like this and did anything help?