SN and sleep

[Philcat]

Hi. I have a dd nearly 4 with global developmental delay. She has never been a great sleeper but has recently got so much worse. She wakes several times in the night - last night from half two till 4 then is up from 5am. She gets back into bed but as soon as we leave she is out again and screaming. Any ideas? We are reluctant to bring her into our bed but tried this morning but she kicked us both so I put her back in her own room. Should one of us sleep on her floor? I have ordered a sleep clock thingy but not hopeful to be honest!

sympathies,my dd is nearly 4,have same problem.

It's a killer isn't it?

I think it depends on your lifestyle. My DS is a poor sleeper (asd) and wakes often and is up early. This compounds his behaviour at school. Therefore I think it is vital to get a good nights sleep!! So we do whatever gets us through the night. It can be musical beds on really bad nights.

No, generally speaking, having kids in your bed isn't the best idea but I feel that when you have a SN kid then normal rules do not always apply.

We got a sleep clock thingy and he hates it, wakes up early and will shout until we go through to him. Our poor neighbours...

Can you get advice from someone? The Handsell Trust (spelling?) is an organisation that focuses on SN kids and sleep, I think.

You might find that regular sleep training will work (maybe advice from a Health Visitor), and it is just a normal developmental stage. However, quite a lot of SN kids are hotwired not to sleep well. DS1 has been on night sedation for many years as his lack of sleep was threatening our family life. He still doesn't sleep well, but it isn't as critical. There used to be a sleep clinic locally, so may be worth checking if there is one in your area.

DS2 (4yo) wakes up frequently at night and very early (sometimes 3 or 4am) and then can't go back to sleep. We've still got the child gate on his door (no impulse control - he'd get into something dangerous if we didn't) and have (for the most part) child-proofed his room. He sometimes can at least settle a bit if we play a music CD for him and read a couple stories ... it's almost like redoing the bedtime routine IYSWIM, so maybe that's why it seems to help? Still means we get very little sleep though.. hmmm ... maybe I'm not helping here. Will be watching answers with interest for ourselves as well.

My dd2 has never slept well - it is always something we brought up at Paed appts, and they did do 2 sleep studies over the years. (she is 8)

They eventually diagnosed Sleep Apnoea and sleep hypopnoea and paradoxical breathing. Now we have to use a CPAP machine on her.

Some of my friends children use melatonin or Chloral Hydrate, or alimemazine.

Thanks for replies - will definately check out The Handsell Trust donkeyderby. She's never been this bad and it's affecting her so much - her signing has gone backwards, she's started having toilet accidents when before she was fine, and her few words are disappearing. I think musical beds it will have to be.....not planning on any more children anyway, so might as well!!!

know how you feel my son is up at least twice a night also he has nocturnal seizures
so is up more.he is now 36 year old through time your body gets used to the less sleep but now im getting older i feel it more, for 34 of the 36 years the only full nights sleep ive had is when he is on respite or in hospital.
i was holding down a 28 hours a week job in a special school until easter but had to reduce hours due to lack of sleep.

myra