Please help me with my 6-year-old’s sleep!

[Sixyearoldsleep]

My 6-year-old DS, who I suspect is ND (adhd), has been a tricky sleeper since he was a baby. DH and I are exhausted!

He won’t fall asleep unless someone is holding him, and often that’s not enough - he has to be listening to a podcast or audiobook too. It can take hours to get him to go sleep, usually it’s around 9:30pm by the time he does.

In the night, he will get into our bed and move around and kick. We’ve tried rewarding him for sleeping in his own bed, putting a cosy sleeping area on the floor of our room for him, but he still gets in our bed. And then he wakes us all up too early in the morning, considering how much sleep he’s actually managed to have.

Help! How do I get him to sleep in his own bed all night (I wouldn’t even mind the sleeping bag on our floor, just not our bed) / fall asleep without being entertained by audio stories / go to sleep earlier!? I’m so tired!

Bump!

Another bump - just in case anyone can advise!

I'm not sure I can help, my 3 year old is exactly the same and I can see him being like this for a long time.

I suspect tough love - leave the audiobook and do chores around the bedroom, and then extend this to around the same floor, then going downstairs over a period of weeks so that eventually you walk out, leave the audiobook on and he's ok with it.

Not sure about the night waking. We've tried rapid return but it just ended up with us being exhausted and no behaviour change after 10 days so we gave up, we were on our knees and both work full time so we had to give in.

All three of my children have adhd and bedtime has always been difficult. Things that have worked -
DS used to watch a film on a TV on his own before bed
DD1 needed structure and quiet time
DD2 needs quiet time with a parent which is usually watching something relaxing like animals, then a slow bedtime. We do teeth and pjs well before bedtime so there's no instructions or demands. She also has a weighted blanket which has made all the difference. She also prefers to sleep naked or in very thin comfort PJ's. She never settles if things are rushed and busy.

All three are early birds and they have all been allowed "free" time on a morning so I'm not stressed and can still rest.

You'll find your own way with your child, it just takes adaptations to what is seen as the way to do it.

You could also try sleep tight cherry juice as cherry's help to develop melatonin

a weighted blanket has helped my dd6 actually. Unfortunately my DS is too young for one as he hasn't met the minimum weight yet.

No advice but plenty of solidarity. My ds 7 is autistic and has adhd is much the same. Up half the night in my bed kicking me and poking me in the eyes. It's so tiring. We tried melatonin but that actually made his sleep even worse!