Autism and sleep -natural or melatonin?

[coco2891]

Hi can anyone help please and share your experience with me . My 4yo struggles to go to sleep even when so so tired , I have to stay with him until he drops off (sometimes 2hrs) and sleep with him for when he wakes up in the night. I asked the gp and they said soeak to paediatrician-which I will but I'm reluctant . I don't want to feel like I'm drugging him but can't carry on like this . Any natural remedies I should try ? A friend of a friend uses a pre-natal natural gummie vitamin that does the job for her child. Thanks x

https://www.biovea.net/uk/mobile/productdetail.aspx?PID=13694&TI=GGLUKR&C=N&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInujcmrWu4gIV11_ZRCh1jAA74EAQYAiABEgJqwDD_BwE

This is the one -anyone seen this before ?

I don’t see how this would make a child sleep, not to mention that they probably contain levels of vitamins that are not right for a child. Melatonin can also be bought in gummy form, from that website I believe, are you sure that’s not what she’s actually using?

Melatonin isn’t really a drug, it’s a substance found naturally in the body though I can understand how you feel. Speak to the paed and see what they say, sleep is important for you and your dc.

We all naturally produce melatonin it's how our body knows it's night time and we start yawning, feel tired and settle to sleep. Some people do not produce enough melatonin so they do not recognise the need to settle for sleep and do not feel tired enough.

The melatonin they start children on is very low, only 2mg, they take it an hour before the desired bedtime and they start to feel tired and settle down. My son is 10 and we increased his dose to 4mg last year as it was taking up to 2 hours to settle on the original 2mg dose which he'd been on for 2 years so it is something that the paediatrician will review over time and decide if it's helpful or not. It doesn't stop them waking up early though, it only helps them fall asleep.

We use 3ml melatonin for our son and it works great. He has it at 10pm along with the rest of his night-time medications and shortly after this he drifts off and sleeps through the night.

I started to use just 1mg melatonin, eurovitals brand bought direct or through biovea. It comes as a capsule which I empty and put in milk before bed. Some people are either very pro or very against using melatonin for kids as long term usage impact isn't known. However, for us its been a life saver.... previously it took 3 hours to get my son to sleep. Now its half an hour.

just had a look at those gummies. they`re just a multi vitamin! could get the same cheaper in tesco lol. NOTHING to do with helping sleep.

Its not drugging your child to sleep, ds has "circadin" melatonin. All this is , is a synthetic made melatonin which to "top up" whats made in the body. Some people (like ds ASD/ ADHD etc), either don`t make enough or any. Sometimes we try a night without. Its hell when we do this all round. So please OP try it. The trick is to use the lowest dose that works. No amount of multi vits/ quack medicine will work, just empty your pocket.