When were DC prescribed with sleep meds?

[londonsquirrel]

I am wondering whether I am doing rubbish parenting or there might be a need for some medication (which I am dreaming of since DS was 4mo). I will be taking my 4yo DS to the GP next week, but wanted to hear your stories please.
DS has autistic traits (waiting for assesment) and he has always been a bad sleeper, never needed much sleep during the day — just 45 min naps, has always been waking up at night and at 4 he still does.
DS and I co-slept for a long time, because I could not bare getting up a million times at night to settle him. Then I was so sleep-deprived I asked my DH to co-sleep with DS in DS’s room. Now DS goes to sleep in his own room to his own bed, which is a struggle itself even when he is tired. Later he wakes up before midnight saying he does not want to sleep alone and wants me to sit with him, so I need to settle him. Then he wakes up at night and goes to DH bed. I sleep alone, because I cannot get rest with a wriggler in my bed. Yet, sometimes he comes to my bed and — like today — I am sleep-deprived and miserable the day after.
Sometimes when we travel we sleep together with DS all night long and he wouldn’t wake up at all.
So, I was wondering, does something like melatonin help in this case?

We have a 7yr old with ADHD who was also a bad sleeper when he was younger. We use melatonin, my understanding is that it helps them get to sleep, it won't keep them asleep or stop them waking. Our boys sleep has got better the older he's gotten, he's still an early riser though and transition periods can cause night wakings still (new school year, birthday, Xmas etc...)

Melatonin gets you to sleep but it won’t keep you asleep.

It can only be prescribed by a pead as well and not a GP for a child.

My son has it and he’s had it since he was possibly 3/4 but he was DX at 2 and is severely autistic.

Thanks a lot for your replies!
Good to know about the GP not prescribing melatonin. We have been referred to a community paed, so I shall ask them.

Is there anything that keeps your child asleep? Co-sleeping definitely helps DS not to wake up fully, he still wakes up though + wriggles a lot during sleep. This leaves both DH and myself very much sleep deprived — I do not feel rested in the morning and it takes me so long to get up, while DS is happily jumping around.

Our boy has got a lot better the older he's got and it's now very rare for him to wake. Co sleeping was the only thing that worked for us as well. He liked knowing we were there. He doesn't half wriggle and toss and turn though, he certainly doesn't have a restfully sleep!

I never Co slept with my son. He’s always been in his own room. If he wakes up in the night he will stay in his bed and generally just make some noises so I don’t worry that much anymore as he can’t hurt himself in his own room

I’ve found a magnesium supplement really helpful for DS’s sleep. You could maybe try Epsom salts/magnesium flakes baths or magnesium oil on skin as well as it’s absorbed quite well transdermally