Re: LIz -about article on Sleeping Difficulties & a question

[Guest guest]

Elie had severe sleeping issues from about age 6 until 15. Even after

surgery for sleep apnea, he still had strouble going to sleep. Now he

sleeps like an angel - frequently puts himself to sleep and always sleeps

thru the nite.

Sara - Choose to make lemonade, not complain about the lemons.

>From: smilinggail@...

>Reply-To:

>To:

>Subject: Re: LIz -about article on Sleeping Difficulties & a

>question

>Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 08:22:31 EDT

>

>

>Seth is up routinely in the night. His bedroom is *Seth-proofed* and he

>usually just gets up and stims, then goes back to sleep after an hour or

>two.

>Although, usually once a month or so, he just doesn't sleep all night.

>He's

>always happy and playing, never cries or anything. Just not tired I

>guess.

>He usually goes to bed between 9-10, falls asleep about 30 minutes later,

>then

>is up between 3-5 in the morning. Goes back to sleep until 6:30 when I

>wake

>him for school.

>Gail :-)

>

>Liz- Great article. It got me thinking.

>

>I would like to ask the group if everyone's child has difficulties

>sleeping.

> I am often asked this question about my son. I've shared before that we

>do

> not have the ASD dx that we believe would be appropriate-we are still on

>that journey. We do not have really bad experiences in the area of sleep

>disturbances, but every once in awhile our son will awaken and just be " up "

> and

>other infrequent times he will act like he's had a nightmare with

>wimpering.

>We usually react to both of these types of sleep disturbances with the

>same

>routine: we go in, make sure he is physically okay and bedding and

>clothing are

>okay, we touch and speak to him and use reassuring phrases with him, then

>we

>turn on a CD player of favorite music and let it play softly. He usually

>responds well to this.

>

>In our son's case he is not able to exit his bed, the way it is

>constructed,

>so he doesn't get up at night. I'm sure he would, given half a chance, as

>he likes to wander - but he needs to be safe at night when the rest of us

>are

>sleeping.

>

>I don't consider this level of sleep disturbance, once or twice a month,

>to

>be a problem. I'm sure others have different experiences. I just would

>like

>to know how your children with DS/ASD do in this department.

>

>Thanks-

>Donnell (mom to DJ-age11)

>

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[Guest guest]

nathan has a very similar nighttime schedule, with the exception we got rid

of his vailbed a few years ago as he kept refusing to sleep in it and he

stopped wandering over the last few years. we stillhave door alarms just incase

the mood gets him, but thankfully we live in iowa and its cold 9months out of

the year, in fact it started snowing today, and nathan hates the cold, whew!!

he sticks to the same schedule most nights shower arond 830-9pm and in bed

9-10 pm. sometimes he is asleep imediately to get up later and watch his tv and

play toys then go back to sleep for a few hours b4 school other nights he is

in there making lots of noise with his echolalia and if he is still doing it

around midnight we usually give him a light snack with some milk, and some

tylenol or benedryl and then send him back to bed reminding him we will take

his tv away unless he gets some sleep. His tv is a big motivator for him he

loves his vidoes or dvds. shawna