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Lucie1979

Are sleep problems common with Aspies?

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As some of you know my 5 yr old son is in the process of being referred as myself and thw school suspect he has Aspergers.

 

Well over the past month his sleep has become very unusual.

 

Even from a baby he has always been a good sleeper.

 

It has now started where he seems to want to fall asleep during the day. This is very unusual for him! Then at bedtime which is 7.30pm he keeps saying there is a little person in his head that wont shut up and he cant get to sleep! Last night he finally went off just before 10pm!! Not great because then in the morning and at school he is grumpy!

 

 

Baffled.com!

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Your son is gorgous by the way,xxx

 

here is some information from NAS on Sleep.

 

http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/understanding-behaviour/sleep-and-autism-helping-your-child.aspx

 

I would recommend the sleep diary and note any behaviours your concerned about such as him saying he has a vioce in his head that wont shut up, I have lots of thoughts going around in my head at bedtime, for me its a time where my anxieties rise.

 

Look at providing a very visualised bedtime routine, Activity, Bath, PJs, Supper, Brush Teeth, Story, Bedtime.

 

Routines provide predictability and a sequence of tasks so it can be very beneficial.

 

provide a low sensory level enviroment at bedtime, so soft relaxing music, TV, Consoles off two hours before bed.

 

Look at looking at feelings and emotions together, provide opportunities for him to express his feelings in the early afternoon so bedtime doesnt come a time he gets upset.

 

If it persisits then talk to your sons consultant.

 

My son who has complex special needs has difficulties falling asleep and sleep difficulties are very common both in ASD children and NT children but there is some studies to suggest that children with Autism produce less melatonin and due to sensory issues it can be associated with those difficulties.

 

JsMumx

 

 

JsMumx

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As some of you know my 5 yr old son is in the process of being referred as myself and thw school suspect he has Aspergers.

 

Well over the past month his sleep has become very unusual.

 

Even from a baby he has always been a good sleeper.

 

It has now started where he seems to want to fall asleep during the day. This is very unusual for him! Then at bedtime which is 7.30pm he keeps saying there is a little person in his head that wont shut up and he cant get to sleep! Last night he finally went off just before 10pm!! Not great because then in the morning and at school he is grumpy!

 

 

Baffled.com!

 

I have Aspergers and have always suffered from insomnia. I have never found a cure for it as such, even pharmaceuticals don't work. I have learned to manage it somewhat though. Basically it helps to give the mind something very specific to focus on, rather than allowing it to wonder. In my case reading helps, I am sure others on here find different things help.

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As some of you know my 5 yr old son is in the process of being referred as myself and thw school suspect he has Aspergers.

 

Well over the past month his sleep has become very unusual.

 

Even from a baby he has always been a good sleeper.

 

It has now started where he seems to want to fall asleep during the day. This is very unusual for him! Then at bedtime which is 7.30pm he keeps saying there is a little person in his head that wont shut up and he cant get to sleep! Last night he finally went off just before 10pm!! Not great because then in the morning and at school he is grumpy!

 

 

Baffled.com!

 

That's almost exactly how my son described what was happening to him a couple of years ago. After some serious worrying, we workedout that he had finally developed an imagination* :lol: He had never "imagined" anything before and couldn't understand what all the pictures and conversations etc in his mind were :huh:

 

It just took some explanations, and practise and learning how to block out periphery information as much as possible, and after a few months he went back to sleeping really well again :clap:

 

 

 

*I have to admit, watching a two year old shout "verrrooom" while flying his aeroplanes around the room is so very cute, but watching a 10 year old do the same is incredibly annoying. Poor DS

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Thanks for the replies

 

Xavier has always had a huge imagination!

 

I always try and stop him hurtling around with his sister at least an hour b4 bedtime - Quiet Time

 

He came in from school this afternoon and almost as soon as he sat on the sofa his eyes started closing (although I was watching Alan Titchmarsh :lol: ) I immediately woke him up because I want him to be tired at bedtime.

 

He went to bed at 8pm and I can hear him chatting away to himself upstairs now!

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This is now getting worse! Im in the process of drawing some visual routine pictures for morning and night time.

 

He went up to bed at 7.30pm after having a bath.

 

Its now 10.15pm and he is still wide awake!! :(

 

Last week whilst at school he actually sat on the carpet, then layed down then fell asleep!!!!!!!!!

 

Im going to go and see my GP i think! He said the voices in his head keep asking him silly questions like.....how do volcanoes work???!

 

I would give ANYTHING to spend an hour inside my sons head! I bet its amazing in there.

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What do you do when he gets out of bed? How far does he get when he gets out of bed? Camp out in the hallway if you have to, but AS SOON as he gets out of bed put him back and leave the room. Do this over and over and over and over until he knows for sure that no matter how many times he gets up he will be put back to bed. Also tell him, in no uncertain terms, to stop talking to himself. If you hear him talking, go in and tell him to shut up, then leave immediately. Do not 'negotiate'...

 

You can have all the routines in place that you like, but as long as he is in a position where he can 'stimulate' himself awake again he will circumnavigate them. It is not, as you've already identified, because he's not tired or 'doesn't need sleep' - He's falling asleep in class and on the sofa after school because he is tired out... all that's wrong is the timing. If you put him to bed at eight and he's still awake at ten, put him to bed at six. He'll hate it, but if he's got the imagination you suggest he'll be able to understand exactly the reasons why you are doing it. If he wants to maintain his eight o'clock bedtime (as i suspect he will) he'll quickly realise that eight o'clock sleep time gives him two more hours of useful time than going to bed at six and fannying around for two hours.

 

It really is (IMO) that simple - if bed at eight + two hours fannying means sleep at ten then bed at six + two hours fannying around means sleep at eight. He WILL challenge that, and for a few nights it will be bed at six and sleep at ten, but it won't last for long because he's not daft and he IS tired.

 

As far as bedtime routines, nice baths, stories, music etc are all good and well worth establishing, but ultimately he just has to know that bed is bed, and the longer he fights against it the earlier you're going to start the process until he's going to sleep at a reasonable hour. Once he knows you are in charge and he isn't, you'll crack it.

 

HTH

 

L&P

 

BD

Edited by baddad

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I'm an adult with AS and sleep has always been a problem for me (I'm posting this at 3.45am, despite having taken a sleeper!).

 

Often when I try to sleep, I either have a high speed montage of invented images (probably about two images per second) flashing through my mind with continuous commentary that is unintelligible. That can last all night. Or, I often have a song or a section of a song playing repeatedly in my head. This can last several consecutive days and nights, particularly annoying if I don't even like the song! As baddad says, some simple behavioral training might sort it out but do be aware that your child might not simply be acting up, if my experiences are anything to go by. It might be a real problem in switching off.

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What's changed in the past month? Something at home? school? That's what I'd be looking at. If he's been a great sleeper until now, something must have changed. My son is a horrendous sleeper (although we're going through a semi-decent phase and getting 7 hours at the minute *touch wood* as everytime I verbalise it it goes to pot again) but he's always been that way, and he gets as much sleep as he needs as he's not tired during the day (though I am!).

 

If however his sleep pattern suddenly changed, I'd be trying to figure out what else had shifted in his routine.

 

Lynne

Edited by Lynden

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but do be aware that your child might not simply be acting up, if my experiences are anything to go by. It might be a real problem in switching off.

I can't even think to count how many times I was shouted at for being up and about. My parents tried every tactic and herbally treatment stuff under the sun, nothing worked. Then I got me nightmares and now if I ever wake up in the dark, everyone else wakes up too.

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yes, I am experiencing it now! :wacko:

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