Sleep crisis

[theheadgirl]

I'm feeling very despondent this morning due to the latest turn of events in DD3's sleep pattern. Would really love it if anyone has any advice or similar experiences to pass on...
Just some background, DD3 is 7, she has Downs and more pertinently also a dual diagnosis of ASD. She has no speech, signs a bit and is very hyposensitive in general - she loves rough play, being turned upside down, loud music, being massaged etc.

Recently her sleep pattern became a problem, in that she just couldn't settle herself. She would need me to hold her in my lap to calm her before she drifted off. We saw the consultant who gave melatonin last month and I've seen a good response to 3mg.

However - the last 3 days she's been very "hyper" in her behaviour. Lots of rocking, loud vocalising, throwing stuff about. She doesn't seem distressed, and is quite happy and smiley in her self. But when we get to bedtime she just cannot calm down. Tuesday night she didn't settle til 4.30 am, I had to hold her to calm her. I let her sleep til 10 am (so had 5 and 1/2 hours) Last night no sleep AT ALL. I had the odd hour here and there when I felt I just had to go back to my own room. But she just spent the night rocking, or looking out of the window or throwing her toys about, mostly shouting all the time. Melatonin (and a repeat dose) seemed not to touch her at all. I'm worried is this lack of sleep going to harm her in some way. I'm worried DD1 and DD2 will suffer cos of the disruption and my lack of energy. To be honest I just feel incoherent with tiredness and worry, and feel weepy about it all. So sorry if none of this reads well.

But any advice or comments will be pounced upon gratefully

If I tell you that the new flat screen tv has been knocked over twice, then you can guess the answer. I too have a raving lunatic at home, its a good job she's cute or I'd sell her on ebay. The tv is proving surprisingly durable, and will soon be bolted down.....

Sounds like ds1 today, He is showing proper lunar activity- spent the afternoon sitting on the armchair and making it leap around the room - the number of times I have shouted "stop doing that'.

He is absolutely barking. I thought I was escaping this month but obviously not.

awful - he's been up since 3am and screaming since 5.30.

Utterly 'gone over'.

Oh roll on that full moon. Fingers crossed for a better night for you jimjams

I feel your pain Jimjams- I had 2 nights this week where Ds woke up at 2 and didn't go back to sleep until 6am. now he has gone back to just waking very early again.

Sleeping not so bad here but we have constant leaping and throwing and screaming. I think I'm becoming immune to it but DH is on the edge!

Thank god for melatonin and phenergan.

sigh!!!

DS been sleeping fine this week, I still wake early though

He's still going and has left his sodding binoculars at my aunt's house (dh driving over to get them now).

so interesting to read that, although i had already made a connection with the moon and the madness in this house, ds4 been restless in night but still sleeping but ds2,3+4 all been blooming manic for days, had so many injuries the last few days its unreal, culminating yesterday in major kicking offs, and me, i just wanted to run away yesterday, on a major downer, fingers x it starts to get better now then, i was wondering about the moon yesterday, hopefully that was the peak lol, and hope everyones kiddies start to settle down now.

oh my god - jimjams I never ever thought about the full moon, but DS1 has been completely bonkers this week, four nights on the trot when he has woken up at 3am and not cone back to sleep until 6.30am (last night it was from 1am to 6am...), screaming and kicking the wall and laughing in his bed and waking up the whole house. Everyone here delirious from sleep deprivation, DH and me have been arguing all day and I've just sent him to the park with the dog and DS1 to give me some head space...

We've been wondering why it happens as his behaviour and sleep problems come on periodically, we give melatonin but obviously while it helps him get to sleep, he doesn't stay asleep.

This is just too bizarre for words. Anyone know why lunar activity would have such an effect on behaviour?

No idea why- but it is where the word lunatic comes from!

DS1 is calmer today although still banging on about shiatsu every five two minutes.

oooh just read on another thread it was a lunar eclipse as well- which might explain why he was particularly bad- have made that link before as well.

Hadn't thought much about this today - but just realised that ds is a lot calmer, not much screaming today, still a lot of running but not the manic leaping kind of the last few days...fingers crossed the worst is over! The other two have been better today too (they have been fighting like cat and dog all week!).

Ds slept like a log last night after a week of waking up 5-10 times a night & screaming every time I left the room ! I hope I have not spoke too soon and it's not just a one off !

Still finding this concept really wierd but ds has been much calmer today than he was last week - even though we haven't done much today. He has hardly screamed and has restricted his running to the garden. The cushions are still on the sofa! Again, don't want to speak too soon but perhaps we are over the worst...

I don 't understand it at all, but ds1 is 9 now and I've been tracking it for years. If he wakes up and does one of his 3am skipping round the house it is the week before the full moon 95% of the time. And whenever he's totally lost the plot it has been full moon (check out Christmas Day 2004- full moon, I was 39 weeks pregnant and ended up in hospital with stupid blood pressure- pure stress from ds1 and the full moon- it came down with a cup of tea and some peace!)