Can't cope much longer

[Twowillbefine]

So, for the last week, the weather has turned my difficult but lovely 3 and a half year old ASD child into a monster who is not sleeping before 9-10 every night. Used to go to bed beautifully at 7 and usually be asleep by 7:30, now screaming non-stop all the way.

I am going in on a 2 minute cycle. The room is too hot (which I know). With windows open too noisy / light. With windows closed too hot. With duvet on too hot but doesn't like no duvet. Can't talk so can't tell me what he wants. Fan no good as thinks it's a toy.

I am at the end of my tether. My partner will no doubt come to relieve me later, when he will stop the going in and do his approach and at some point DS will go to sleep. But this is all far too stressful and upsetting and is causing major arguments.

Not looking for advice; just need to get it out somewhere. Also know that generally speaking am very lucky - I know others have it much worse. Just feeling very sorry for myself and like a crappy parent.

Twowillbefine, I have so been there. The solution for us (GDD, not ASD), was a ceiling fan. Cools the room but out of prying fingers way. Also, white noise to aid sleep.

Appreciate the thought but alas, no space. He is in a loft room without enough head height. Just worrying as his routine is completely shafted at the moment. I am desperate for rain!

know what you mean,my son not diagnosed yet but even though he does talk to me he been sleeping 9-10pm - 7 am since starting nursery january.im exuasted but cant do anything .hope you find a solution to help him sleep soon xx

HEY its suppossed to pour down tommoro,so perhaps our dc will sleep then. Mine goes to bed ok but up for three hours most nights I dread it when I hear her at two in the morning and Know its gonna be 5 o clock before I get back to bed.
Its got to get better soon.

How about putting the fan on in the bedroom about an hour before he goes to bed to cool the room down? You can turn it off and take it out of the room at bedtime.

Melatonin? We have used it occasionally for a few days to break a non settling cycle. Especially in the summer. Once routine re-established we stop using it.

I sympathise. We are living in a top floor flat and the ds2's room is very hot. I have had two weeks of them staying awake until about 9.30pm.

I bought some temporary blinds and taped them onto the window in the hope it would make a difference. They really do make the room very dark.

This afternoon I kept the window completely closed and the room wasn't as hot as it usually is, then I only opened it after the boys had gone to sleep. They still didn't go to sleep until about the same time, but that's because dp took them for a walk to tire them out . I'm hoping tomorrow I can get them to sleep a bit earlier.

My DS has been waking up at 4am, then 5am for a month now. I suppose it's the heat and the seagulls but as he's 14 and has been doing this on a regular basis for 12 years, I am rather exhausted. I want to have a flat of my own and disappear once in a while for a whole weekend in bed!