To wake my ds to get him to sleep ?!?!

[Alfiedoggy]

My ds, 6 , has aspergers . He wakes every , single night at 3:30 am ... That's it for the day then :/ I am on my knees ...
Just read about the wake to sleep method - is it insane to rouse him 20 min before 3:30 ?!? So that he sleeps longer ? Has anyone else tried this ??
Please help - I'm off to drown my sorrows in my body weight of chocolate

It never worked for my DD, but in your situation I'd try anything.

Have you tried a gro-clock and leaving activities set up for him to do alone and quietly while you get some more sleep? My brother needed very little sleep (probably has Asperger's but not diagnosed). But he would be allowed to turn his light on and read or similar if he woke early, and wasn't allowed out of his room until he heard my mum get up. Or as he got older he would stay up later than my parents so he woke up at a more normal time.

I have heard this I have a son with asd who has poor sleep not sure I want to try it as when my son stirs he wakes very quickly anythings worth a go though.

Thank you both so much for replying - I fell asleep :/! But I woke him at 3am , just enough for his eyes to open , and he went back to sleep til five !! I feel a big improvement , will def do it again tonight
X2boys have u tried cerebra charity ? They have a free sleep service with a nurse who helps you , we re on waiting list to see her xxx

I used the wake to sleep method when ds1 (no asd though) was a baby and it worked.

Good luck Alfie, 3.30am must be so so tough.

Thank you slinky b
Can I just ask you - how long do I need to keep waking him at 3 am for now ? Xx

I di wake to sleep with my DS2. I think he was aorund 3 or 4 at the time and waking regularly at around 1am and staying awake for at least an hour.

I would go in to him before we went to bed and rouse him slightly - enough that he'd roll over/ groan.

Worked very quickly.

Glad your frirst attempt helped. Hope you sort it. It is a killer

Thank you Yarp - it's tragic when u think 5 am is a lie in isn't it !!!!! Xxx

No Asperger's here, we don't think but DD might be, I'd give it a go, it might work.

Alfie

Yes indeed.

My DS1 used to wake between 5 and 6 until he was about 6. That was bad enough over a period of years. I never thought I could do anything about it; i only found out about wake to sleep when I had DS2.

The irony is, 8 years later I now wake up at 5.30 every monrning!

Ha ha ha !!! I'm going to be waking at 3:30 am when they're 20 aren't I !!

No suggestions but sympathy about the early waking. My DS is Asperger's too but luckily doesn't have this trick in his bag. Am reading with interest though cos I net heard of this method. Yarp do you want me to call you every morning at 5.15?[wink]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry I can't remember how long we did it for, as ds1 is 3.9 now. I think we did it for a couple of weeks?

yarp You wake naturally at 5.30am every day?

I might have to cut out one of the baby's naps if he keeps the 5am thing up.