LizC Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Hi as I am struggling with a good bed time routine for my son Matthew, can anyone advise me on this... what do you do with your kids? he has never settled on a night and it is exhausting!! as a baby he would cry and cry as he didn't want to be left alone. once he is in bed (after a battle of getting him there in the first place) he comes back out his room, you can here the gate go (on for my 2yr old) then you can hear him come down the stairs making up every excuse he can think of, he does this over and over again, he normally gets his bathroom flannel to carry around with him. he bounces on his bed, sits and plays on the landing sings and talks very loud (he is very loud at the best of times) thing is he wakes his younger bro up and his older sister can't get to sleep. anyway just wondered what you routine are and maybe we could try them! TIA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiley Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Hiya, My little one is an only child - so i don't have the problem of him waking up the rest of the house. It must be really hard work for you <'> His sleep pattern goes up and down - sometimes he's asleep as soon as he goes to bed - sometimes he's up for hours, pottering about in his room. We've just recently been prescribed Melatonin (there's info about Melatonin in the medication section) - i wasn't sure at first and hated the idea of giving him drugs, but they have worked for him. They help him to sleep. I'm not sure what to suggest re; bedtime routine - sounds like you've tried everything! Maybe worth a chat with his consultant. Hope that helps <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizC Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Hi thanks we have been told about melatonin and would love to try that. the only thing is the nurse and pyschologist dealing with us seem to have disapeared off the face of the earth they were supposed to come to our house on 28th Nov but cancelled on that morning and still haven't been back in touch, don't they realise that christmas would be worse for us! and a big change for after christmas when he has a new teacher! Matthew is normally asleep by about 10.30 most nights but lately it has been 11/12 and even 1am! I can't cope with this. oh well thank you for helping. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiley Report post Posted December 31, 2005 My advice is - phone them ...... on the hour, evey hour ...... until you get help .......... you'll hear the saying 'fully paid up member of the awkward squad' here quite a bit!! Unfortunately, most of us have to push to get the help our children need. Just as well we've got a few of these .......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Liz, what smiley says is quite right, be an akward toe-rag and bug them till they listen. Sadly that's often what it takes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizC Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Hi thank you, yes in the new year my husband is going to be ringing them (I have done my fair share lol) we will not let this lie, we have faught all the way, even with the HVs who used to say there was nothing wrong, us mums (and dads) know better don't we Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted December 31, 2005 My four year old has started playing up at bedtime getting in and out of bed fora variety of 'reasons'. He was a dreadful sleeper until he was 2.5yrs, now isn't that bad and hte bedtime thing is relatively new. Friends of slightly younger children are finding the same with their kids and as my son is in mnay ways a year or so behind in his maturity and development I wonder if some of this behaviour is normal, just delayed. We have a fairly set bedtime routine of bath, quick play with non-stimulating toys, teeth cleaned, stories and bed, He's allowed to keep his light on until I put my 15mth old to bed and then it goes off. The number of times he gets up can vary but as toilet trips are one excuse take him to the loo just before light off to preempt this. Have found that making bath time as unstimulating as possible (H used to whip both kids up with his song and dance routine!) and letting him have 5-10 mins to play quietly and wind down helps reduce the messing around. If he does get up do the minimum of fuss and keep talking to the minimum and put him back to bed. I've had to accept too that he simply no longer needs to sleep 11-12 hours at night anymore and sometimes just isn't tired. if he's not tired he cna keep his light on for longer and he plays with his plane in bed. I guess from your post your son shares his room so maybe that's not an option? The preschool teacher currently working with us was telling me about a sleep specialist who cam eto the local parents group. She said a lot of autistic children need a prolonged wind down before bedtime and some parents find success with dimming the lights, putting on quiet music and doing unstimulating play for 2 hours before bedtime Hth Liz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizC Report post Posted December 31, 2005 Hi thanks Liz, will try that, although we do allow him to have his lamp on, my 2yr old goes to bed first and he actually likes the dark so we do try to get him off to sleep first. Matthew does play and we try to tell him to keep quiet but he just doesn't seem to be able too lol will try to concentrate more on the winding down thing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
