Absolutely sick - son still awake

[bryceQ]

My 4 year old is autistic and has terrible sleep issues. He went down at 8/30pm and woke with night terrors at 9:15pm. Took half an hour to settle him. Then tried to get him back down and he's been bouncing off the walls ever since. Smashing the door, the walls, jumping frantically. I am absolutely bone weary. Yesterday I was up 20 hours with him.

Just need to rant. I'm so tired.

That sounds so tough I'm sorry. I'm up with two poorly little ones and have just seen Matthew Perry has died. So I'll be awake long after they're asleep feeling sad about that and probably doing far too much googling.

that sounds really difficult. Do you have anybody that can help? Is his dad around? Have you asked about trying melatonin?

A family friends child suffered similarly and they up turning their child's bedroom into a padded room/ safe room. It meant the child could safely bounce around and the parents could get some sleep. They did manage to get some partial funding via a grant, not sure if that's something you could look into.

He's been on melatonin for two years he's already had his dosage tonight, I can't double dose as it causes more night terrors. My husband is away for the weekend - he is brilliant and never goes away. This is just rotten luck.

His room basically is that we cant proof it anymore but I can't sleep if he is slapping the walls and laughing and screaming... It's just impossible. I really wanted to avoid giving him ipad but I'm losing the will to live and it might keep him quieter for a bit... Had so many hours of this now😭

Give him the iPad if you think it will help. You need to sleep.

I spent so many nights with DS watching SpongeBob episodes. I would get pillows and blankets and we would lie together on the couch. I would doze on and off, and eventually he would fall asleep (about 3 am). This went on for years, until we finally had a paed prescribe catapres on top of the melatonin. He still holds out until after 10pm, but we no longer endure the crazy hours we used to have.

How are things now OP. Did you manage to get more than a few hours sleep since you last posted?
try and get some sleep Whilst your son is at school if you are not working (if he has started at school)

Ah that's kind of you to ask. We had a horrendous few weeks, my son only does 2 hours at school and I work then. It's pretty relentless but we keep going!

Whys he only doing two.hours at school?
Does he have an EHCP?
My son has severe autism and learning disabilities his sleep.was terrible at this age and would regularly wake up for hours during the night and melatonin didn't help him at all
It did get better from.about five or six and he's 13_now and sleeps,well
he's still very challenging when awake but at least we all.get.sleep now.

He can't handle more than that, it took us a year to build up to this, he has had an ehcp since he was 3, diagnosed at 2. Hopefully going to an amazing autism school next year they only take from age 5.

Waiting to get his melatonin reviewed