My 8 year old is still awake

[Daisychainsandglitter]

I am feeling so frustrated with her and tired. She has ASD and insists that we sit with her while she falls asleep which we do.
Usually she goes to bed at around 9pm any earlier and it's a complete waste of time sitting with her.
Tonight and last night she is still awake. I've sat with her twice for half an hour at a time and my husband sat with her 8.30-9.15 and yet here we are.
She cannot seem to understand that we are tired, we've tried everything from ignoring her which has resulted in her screaming and waking her younger sister. She's read loads of books, played on her iPad as we've said that we need to sleep.
She says she's not tired and the only thing that is calming her is by me sitting with her again for a third time while she is not going to sleep. Feeling so irritated with her at the moment and at a loss as to what to do.
By the way, I raised issues with her sleep to the autism team over a year ago and was given a sleep diary to fill out. Never had a response from the team and impossible to get through. I just want to go to sleep!!!

oh they hid that too! Chewable...

the naturally occurring hormone which prompts your body to sleep is available in a chewable form

That was a good way of putting it Porridge

I’m an adult with adhd and I still don’t need much sleep, perhaps she’s just the same?
I didn’t have the same relationship with my parents so instead of seeking their company I would entertain myself or go back out, but essentially she appears similar in that she isn’t ready to sleep and needs distraction/ entertainment until she is ready.

The only time I’ve ever had any problem getting to sleep when I’m tired is when there’s been pressure to do so. I remember as a child either my parents trying to pressure me to go to sleep, or trying to conform to others and be ‘normal’ and it always had the opposite effect.

You don’t remotely sound like my mother so I’m not for a moment suggesting she feels you’re pressuring her, but I imagine she feels the same way I did at sleepovers etc where I felt I was expected to sleep and weird not to. The only thing that ever worked in those situations was being told I could read for as long as I liked, but generally I needed to be up and doing something energetic/ interesting until I was genuinely tired.

audio book / pod cast?

How odd. They didn't hide my post.

My son has it in spray form, which can be easily sprayed into a drink if they don't like the taste.

Reminds me I must order some more!