So tired........

[JaysMum]

I am on my knees...literally.
Does anyone out there have any ideas how I can get my little man to stay asleep?
I have tried Melatonin...he is so used to it that it is no longer effective.
Phenergan sends him hyper...it has the adverse effect...but then so does aneasthetic!!!
I am soooo tired and have not had a full nights sleep for 7 weeks now.
We have eliminated yeast from his diet...was told this can cause sleep problems...it worked for about 2 months..but not anymore.
Ive tried loads of herbal remedies, aromatherapy, reflexology.....
Everything seems to work for such a short period of time and then J starts waking about 3 hours after he has fallen asleep.He is raring to go and doesnt understand that its still night time.
I have been awake with him since 2.17am this morning...he didnt settle till 11 last night. I put him to bed at 8.30 and he is happy to stay in bed...just doesnt go to sleep!!!
He is now cuddled up on the sofa fast asleep and has been since 7.45am....do I wake him...or leave him to sleep?
Its such a shame because last night he was really upset and kept saying he was a nuisance to me because he keeps waking me up....Never will my little man be a nuisance....I just want him to sleep!!!!

Help.......

OMG you poor thing. I have lots of problems with dd and am about to try melatonin

What diagnosis does J have? My friends son has ADHD and only ritalin has helped him sleep at night, not sure why though

Oh how awful. How old is he? Can he read perhaps to occupy himself? My ds ( 5/12) does this occasionally. I just let him watch TV quietly in bed with me while I doze and then fall asleep. He is awake for about 4 hours. However he only does this 3/4 times in the winter so not often... obviously watching TV in the middle of the night every night isn't a good idea... unless he likes Open University!

What about one of those lamps for SAD sufferers. I know they usually suffer from the opposite but it could be light related??

Hope it gets better soon.

Had atrial period of Ritalin last year. It just made J's AS traits worse!!!Plus it caused him to sleep even less, thats why GP prescribed Melatonin!!!Stopped the Ritalin because we felt it was caysing J more difficulties on top of the ones he already had. I know it works well for some children....but they are not all the same are they.
J can't read so books are only looked at...and if I get one out to read to him, I have to read every single word...including ISBN numbers!!!!
I do give in and let him watch TV...thank god for sky!!! But I feel this is not the right thing to do as all the books say that I should minimise visual stimulation. I have bought him so many sensory lights for his bedroom...all of which claim to help with sleep...but nothing sends him back once he has woken up!!!
Just wish someone had a miracle cure!!!
I just dont fancy a night in the caravan as my only resort to gettting a nights sleep alone!!!!

I meant a light box which is actually used in the daytime. You sit in front of it for a few hours each day. It can help those with seasonal affective disorder. There is more here Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): About light, depression & melatonin

Apologies if I am telling you something you already know.

Poor you. I only wish I had some advice to give. xxx

you are getting some respite arent you? you must feel wrecked

Sorry you are feeling so tired. It can really bring you down. I am awful when tired. I take floradix as a general tonic and a magnesium supplement[which is really for PMT] and find these do help me stay on an even keel and less run down.

Cheers Eulalia for the info. Interesting reading.
Will discuss light treatment with the GP because I know they have a SAD session at our local clinic.
Have thought about Reiki as an option. has anyone tried it? Don't know though if J will lie still long enough!!!!

Have you tried cranial osteopathy? I know I always bang on about this but it's so helpful. I'll have a look to see if it's any good for sleep problems but I bet it is. Where are you btw? Some colleges that train in it do cheaper sessions but it isn't too bad anyway pricewise. I just wish they did it on the nhs.

cranial osteopathy article

There are lots of articles on this on the net.

BTW I was dreading taking my DS2 as I knew he wouldn't sit still but the Cranial osteopath was so patient and let DS2 sit on my knee and after a couple of treatments he laid down but it isn't essential.

This is so vague, Im too tired to think of specifics but whilst I was attending an EARLYBIRDS session there was some information about a lady who has developed this non invasive little machine. She comes to your house puts the machine on the little devil and monitors his/her sleep patterns. It measures something in the brain that alert you to what causes them to be so active etc and from the analysis you can start working on a sleep programme/treatment. My son is 5and 7 mths he walks around the house all hours of the night, he rarely comes and disturbs me now. Ive usually knocked myself out with wine(no comments please)Theres nothing much left in the house to destroy so he usually builds something or puts on the t.v.! If you really push me I could get more specific and be nore helpful!!!

That sounds interesting Edena....won't puh for nfo about it now....going to bed...hubby is doing the night shift!!!I really need some sleep....it's been a long old day!!!
Maybe you could post some info about it when you have 5 minutes to spare.

Thanks.

is interesting what you said about the Phenergan, we give it to Ellie each night and after a bit it seemed to make her hyper!

I now don't give as much , I just give her 5mls a night, it doesnt make her sleep, but when she does wake she is still a bit sleepy. Ok, I admit DH then gets into her bed or she comes in with us (she is 3). Not ideal but at least it is letting us have a bit of sleep and is keeping me from literally going to pieces each day.

If she doesnt have that small amount of Phenergan,she can wake and then bounce round, sing and think it is morning for two hours in the middle of the night.

Really feel for you.

What I can't understand is how these Doctors do great things, saved my childs life, put a small plastic thing called a shunt in her head to drain fluid off her brain, but they can't make her sleep!!!!!!!

Worst thing is., there doesn't seem any light at the end of the tunnel does there?

Sorry, not much help!!

Sorry, nothing to add really, but feel for you. Hope you get a really good night sleep soon

Interesting info here, esp SAD stuff and Cranial osteopathy. I put music on quietly for DS, its just one of those processed baby music CDs and a very low night light. Have you talked to your GP or Paediatrician about Risperidone? That's what my DS takes but its mostly to reduce tension and aggression but it also has the benefit of causing tiredness. It might be worth exploring. I've got some info somewhere if you want it. CAT me or I can post it here. I'd try the other ideas first. Also your local CDC should have a psychologist who can help with sleep problems or even a sleep clinic (I know there's a sleep clinic run for people with ASD in Harley St by a highly regarded Paediatrician called Paul Gringras, maybe you could get a referral on the NHS?). Also try NAS helpline, they might have some ideas and more info on the machine talked about on the Earlybird program. Good luck, I think that lack of sleep is the worst thing, its possble to manage almost anything but not lack of sleep.

Forgot to say that ds does sometimes wake but doesn't wake me - he has a tape recorder in his bed and plays music to go to sleep. Sometimes in the night he wakes and plays the tapes again. Just nursery rhyme type of things but it keeps him occupied for the time he is awake. It seems to help with the rare nightmares he gets too as he thinks the noise scares away whatever is frightening him.

Davros,
Can you tell me more about Risperidone please?
What is it used for?
Side effects etc?
Someone I know has their child on this medication....don't know them that well to ask them about it!
Thanks.

I'm probably way off-beam here, but from what you say he does seem to need sleep, it's the timing that's the problem? I just wonder if the strategies that are sometimes used with adult insomniacs might possible help- you go to sleep one hour later each night until you've completely reset the body clock. I know it sounds utterly horrendous, but it might at least be worth looking into, perhaps? I think it's because the body clock free-runs at 25 hours rather than 24 so needs to be reset. I do feel for you

Tamum,
Thats strange you should post this because tonight we decided to put J to bed a little later than normal. He went up at 10 and went out like a light....normally goes at 8.30 and lies there awake until about 11.
I've made sure that the little mite hasn't stopped all day. We've been very active...park, beach, walked the dog twice.
From 9 - 10 we calmed things right down...no visual stimuli, read a story, warm bath, lavendar oil massage etc...
Just hoping that he is so tired he will make it through the night.....fingers crossed.

I have tried the music in his bedroom.I put a calming CD into his stereo, told him to put the music on if he woke up to help him get back to sleep....being woken up at 2am to the sounds of Chilli Peppers at full volume was not fun....even though I adore the Chillies! J said the calming music was "pants" and he wanted to dance!!!!

Fingers crossed Jaysmum, I do hope it works out for you.

LOL at the Chillies!! I'll send you some more info on Risperidone, got your CAT. I just have to dig it out and edit anyone else's name out of it as its stuff I've kept from another list. Since we put DS on it at least 2 of my friends have also tried it with their kids and it has worked wonders. One of my friends as a very h/f completely verbal child with no learning disability but..... he was a mass of nerves, tension and obsesssions. It has worked as well for him as for my DS who is non-verbal, learning disability etc etc.

For Jays mum
Rer no sleeping . The person who monitors the sleep patterns with the gadget I mentioned is called Lucci Wigg her email is [email protected] ( i hope thats correct if not I have her telephone number.) Very Helpful.