7yr old waking frequently in the night

[KTVRR]

I’m exhausted.

7y old keeps son waking in the night - he falls asleep ok initially as we have a good bedtime routine.

He’s always been a light sleeper and generally quite an anxious child, diagnosed ASD but since lockdown he’s waking 3-10 times a night, calling out, crying and struggling to get back to sleep.

We are separated parents and have 50:50 shared care and he sleeps badly at both houses but ex co-sleeps with him to get back to sleep which isn’t an option here. Ex doesn’t work so can rest in the daytime if needed but I work and my partner is NHS so sleep disturbance is having a massive impact on all of us and our work.

We’ve tried lots of positive talk, focusing on the good things so he’s not laying there worrying. Tried white noise and audiobooks. Lavender room spray. Lavender bubble bath and a bath every night before bed.

He just lays awake, not getting back to sleep which means in turn my partner and I are awake for most of the night. Even on nights we don’t have the children we are waking because we think we have heard him call out.

is he getting enough daily exercise to actually make his sleepy?

Yes - and he falls asleep fine at bedtime it’s the staying asleep.

No help, just dropping in to say you are not alone, and I know of several families where a child is struggling with sleep since lockdown. It sounds like you are doing all the obvious stuff.
Just a thought: once he is cosleeping at his other home, does he stay asleep?

I’m not sure, my ex often says they don’t notice he’s crawled into bed with them so possibly? I ended up letting him sleep with me last night because my partner got out of bed and he did go to sleep for about 2.5hrs