Melatonin

[JessicaKenny2018]

My little boy who has asc has been prescribed melatonin because he doesn't sleep well, he's been on melatonin about 7 months now he will be 4 in January, he still isn't sleeping, wakes up loads in the night screaming so loudly the whole house is woken up I also have children that are at school so it obviously important they get a good nights sleep, there really is no settling him back down, he bangs his head violently against his headboard as well has anyone tried anything that works in regards to sleep, he has a routine for bedtime, I also have a 3 month old so at the moment between seeing to baby and getting up to ds I'm literally surviving on about 2 hours sleep a night.

Hi Jessica sorry no one has replied.im in the exact same boat as you, my son is 5 severely autistic and has learning disabilities, is also non verbal.he goes to sleep with melatonin but wakes after 3 hours fully rested,hes up until the next evening. He screams and shouts loudly all day.its horrible.theres a post on it I started asking for help. Few good suggestions. Nothing has worked for my son though,I'm awaiting a call back from a pediatrician to beg for help.ive two school children too.its so hard isnt it?you're not alone in this

My autistic daughter was like that when she was little. There's an extended-release version of melatonin and that worked better for her with regards to sleeping through the night. Might be worth asking his doctor about if you haven't tried it already

I've also called the paediatrician and I believe there trying to see him ASAP, he also has taken to not eating recently and literally has eaten 4 meals in about 2 weeks. Thank you @WhatAMum01 and @greenlobster

@WhatAMum01 my little boy has global developmental delay as well, and is non verbal

Hi Jessica, what kind of foods does he eat?my son limits himself to toast, cheesestrings, apples ,and weetabix and fries from McDonald's. Not a great diet,but what can we do?cant force them and cant starve them to learn to eat something else.fed up with people telling me it's not healthy, I know ffs!!I cant give my son slow release melatonin as he wont swallow tablets,he takes melatonin in juice.what dose is your boy on?

@WhatAMum01 my little boy is a dreadful eater and in the last 2 weeks has taken to barely eating anything, but normally he will eat weetabix but they have to be made into a paste like consistency, spaghetti Bolognese, lasgagna, beans with fish fingers, wotsits and quavers oh and popcorn, everything has to be cut up tiny or made into baby food consistency, as you say his diet is not healthy but I don't want him hungry. He's on 3-4ml 5mg off the top of my head, what is your little boy on?

@JessicaKenny2018 yes my boy is the same everything has to be supersmooth. My son gets the melatonin capsules which I split and put in his juice,on two a night,6mg.i think they work getting him to sleep but he sleeps so deeply that when he wakes 3 hours later hes fully awake until the next day.its killing me,I'm so depressed about it

@WhatAMum01 I got a call back from the paediatrician today she is changing my little boys medication to the slow release tablets so fingers crossed those help. How is your little boy otherwise? My little boy refuses to walk when we're out so he has a special needs buggy, he smears poo and still in nappies, we literally can't take our eyes off him or he will try to pull a tv down on himself or something alike, and recently he's been stimming loads.

@JessicaKenny2018 god he sounds so like my son,he does everything you say plus some. He cant stop vocal stimming which is ahhhhhhhh (the actual sound he makes)all day and night literally.i cant hear myself think anymore cant wAtch TV cant hear the other kids.its torture and what I hate most.he has to be watched nonstop

@JessicaKenny2018 hope they work for him,wishmy boy would swallow a tablet,hes got pica and eats everything dangerous and non food the irony

@WhatAMum01 I'm hoping he will take a tablet the paediatrician said there small and he won't notice them in yoghurt fingers crossed. My little boy also has pica he tries to eat shower gel, poo and all sorts. He is due to start school next September and they want me to apply for a mainstream place which is just ridiculous he won't cope at all. How is your son in the car our little boy screams if we turn a certain way off our drive, he screams if we slow down or if he sees the doctors.

@JessicaKenny2018 my son cant really be taken anywhere without incessantly screaming or laughing magically,I sometimes feel brave and act like super mum not giving a crap and other days the stares from people and pity drown me and mean I cant leave the house for days.im considering ABA ,cannot afford it but will seriously need to look at it as somethings got to change.

@JessicaKenny2018 laughing manically

@WhatAMum01 they really do sound similar, we have been left speechless before when our little boy is in his special needs buggy we have actually had people come up to us and ask what's wrong with him! I mean wow! We was thinking of doing ABA there is a charity that will fund ABA in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk I was thinking of applying to them, if you live in any of those counties I'll get the name of the charity for you.