Views on millpond...

[Lovelyboys]

Hi,
DS1 dx with GDD ASD, he suffers from sleep issues, does not sleep on its own, sleep with me in our bed, takes 2-3 hours to sleep, wakes up middle of the night and stays up and want to sleep at waking up time... Rest of the day he is grumpy and not happy, after reading the threads from this board,I approached the Paed consultant at hospital, she prescribed melatonin for 2 months to get him to habit to sleep quickly and form a routine, but it does not help to sleep through, spoke to the health Visiter and she suggested contacting millpond, went through the website and it's looks quite promising, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with millpond before I contact them.
Thanks

I would just buy their book teach your child to sleep, did wonders for ds1 and I used the techniques for the other 2 children. Saves you money and stress at appointments.

They did a talk at my previous job and were ever so knowledgeable but I only purchased the book, haven't been to the clinic.

Just to add,DS was co sleeping, waking up at least 3 times a night and being settled back with drink....at times would start the day at 4-5. But since I implemented the technique from the book he sleeps in is own bed solid through the night for 10 hours min.

Thanks blue shark, I have ordered the book, really looking forward for some permanent sleep solution for DS1, I have noticed a difference in DS1 when he manages to sleep for longer hours, dont mind me asking... what did you do when your DS woke up at night?... I simply stay in bed with him till he gets tired and goes back to sleep or it's waking up time -then we go downstairs and start the day....

You don want to know!

I sleep trained him during a very cold January, took me almost a month to get it solid but since he has slept through unless he is sick.

I took the gradual retreat route...he was used to co sleep with an adult and waking up 2-4 times through the night and settling with few sips of drink (juice, water, milk, tea) and once he would finish the few sips would hand you over the cup and continue sleeping. It took him over an hour to fall asleep to begin with and with someone lying next to him.

1. so I started by getting him fall asleep by just sitting next to him.be prepared for huuuuge resistance and screaming. When he would wake up though the night I would just say sleep time and still sit next to him. He was very little verbal then, would ask for juice but I would just insist on sleep, so no drink as that was his soother....he wasn't ever thirsty.
2. after 5 days of doing that I moved on to sitting on a chair next to his bed and on every scream answered sleep time, again big resistance and was being pulled to sit o the bed next to him
3. After 5 days I moved the chair to the bottom of the bed, resistance like never before. And when he woke up throughout the night I would just reassure him with sleep time verbally and as i was exhausted (bearing in mind I had a few months old baby at the time too that frequently nursed through he night) my husband would often find me fallen asleep on the floor
4. Then I moved my chair out of the door and this is the hardest step.

BUT after screaming for about 30 mins the first night he stopped waking up through the night.

1. Once you are out of the room life gets easier, after roughly 20 days it was just a normal routine, bath, story, something of his choice either puzzle, book, etc and hug and kiss and good night, you are out of the room and see him the next day!

That's it, you don't need the book now :)

That's tough, I might still need the book as my DS1 is non verbal and does not understand words or gestures, wonder the book has a solution for my DS1, same here, have DS2 3 months, who keeps us awake most times for feed, could really do with some sleep. Thanks for sharing.