No sleep - 2.5 year old autism

[Leabee1234]

Hi. My son is now 2.5 years old and is on pathway of being diagnosed with autism has now been referred to paediatrician by the health visitor
I am really struggling with his sleeping. He wakes up in the night not every night but most and can be awake for over 4 hours wide awake will not sleep no matter how hard I try. Sometimes will wake at 11 wont sleep until 4 or 5. I am exhausted and as a solo mom I have had to call in sick to work a few times as I feel I have done a night shift the night before and too exhausted to try to work. Im really sleep deprived and want to try anything to help him sleep. Ive give hom some magnesium to try and help but doesn't seem to work or make a difference . Feeling so burnt out and exhausted. Some days I am on brink of s breakdown as he can be really hard work behaviour wise also. Its alot to deal with alone. His dad is completely out the picture

This must be really tough. My youngest daughter didn’t sleep unless I was holding her or she was near me from birth.
(diagnosed with autism age 3)
We had a cot that opened onto our bed.
Your son is too young for Melatonin. Could be an option when he’s older. It could be sensory needs or a range of things. You could try White Noise.
There are some suggestions on the NAS website with links to other resources.
A sleep diary is a good idea as you can show it to professionals and see whether any strategies you try have any impact.

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/physical-health/sleep/parents

Edited for typo

This seems to be very common with level 3 autism - and the things you would try with a typical child probably won’t work. Bumping in the hope another parent can advise!