HELP!! sleep problem

[blueberry]

Hi All

 

Im new here and desperately seeking some advice, my son Steven is 7 and was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of 4. Problem is he just wont sleep, he currently sleeps around 2 hours a night then wakes and gets dressed for school like he has had a full nights sleep! Getting him to go bed is becoming a battle, he screaches and bangs about constantly when he is put to bed and my neighbours are complaining as he is waking their children up on a nightly basis. He comes up with an endless list of escuses as to why he sould not be in bed and has to be returned up to 40 times before he will go to sleep. I am absolutely exhausted and im hoping someone will have some advice on how to calm him down for bed and even if he doesnt need the sleep to at least stay in his bed.

I asked his specialist who said it was a common thing with aspergers and he just doesnt need the sleep, she offered sleeping pills but im not willing to go down that route.

Any help would be appreciated

 

Thanks x

[Suze]

My son has sleep problems, sleep walking, hallucinations, and anxiety builds up and he becomes very fretful and teary.The result was exhaustion the next day through lack of sleep, he takes melatonin and it helps alot.

[Enid]

We too have had a lot of sleep problems, but they are not so bad lately, I would def go for melatonin if things were that bad, no question. Enid

[aro]

If it's melatonin on offer I would take it! It often doesn't stop early/night time wakings, but is very good at helping the child get off to sleep.

 

Personally I think that the idea he "doesn't need sleep" is ridiculous if he is only having a couple of hours a night. No one can function effectively on that amount of sleep (especially stressed parents!! )

 

Does you area have a sleep clinic that you could be referred to? I;m currently reading a very interesting book on child sleep problem (yep, got them here too ) which you might find interesting too. sleep book

 

Good luck,

 

A x