ADHD/ASD and sleep

[justine_lynae]

It’s currently 4:40 AM and I’ve already been up 1.5 hours with my daughter, she’s really really struggling tonight. She’s struggling to communicate, and been rocking and pacing back and forth across the room. She’s not able to sit down and tell me what’s wrong and it’s honestly breaking my heart. Sometimes I can predict what’s wrong and act accordingly (sensory overload, different routine than normal, soiled pull-up, tired, hungry) but other times I’ve kept her routine, she’s been fed, her pull-up is changed, and I’ve done everything to block out the light or noise for her. Is anyone else struggling with this?

[SylvieS]

I am so sorry you are struggling with this. Lost sleep affects the whole family. How old is your daughter? It may be worth consulting a pediatric sleep specialist to rile out a medical sleep disorder. Our son was diagnosed with sleep apnea and his sleep improved dramatically after he was treated.

[justine_lynae in reply to SylvieS]

She’s 10 years old. It just seems like as soon as she senses it’s bedtime, we start getting whiny, start to pace the room, rocking and stimming, chewing. Everything. Last night she just threw herself to the floor and lost it and the only thing I did to help was put her in my bed for the night.

[SylvieS in reply to justine_lynae]

A sleep specialist may be able to identify any medical issues. It sounds like she has maybe some fear around going to bed? My son had terrible nightmares and very disrupted sleep as a result of his sleep apnea and was afraid to go to bed. Even though these have improved he still gets a burst of anxious energy before bed. We use a weighted blanket and I have started sleeping with him or letting him sleep in our bed with the hopes that he will let go of some of his anxiety about sleeping if he is not alone. Probably not ideal but we are all sleeping better. I hope you are able to find some answers that bring peace and sleep to your daughter and you.

[LL_Mom]

I am sorry to hear that your child is struggling like this. My girl has other challenges. Fortunately, she stays asleep, but she never seems to get enough--always hard to wake her up. You may want to look into getting a sleep study for your child. A good sleep therapist may be able to provide you with insight and tips that can help improve sleep. Also, ask your doctor about adding melatonin if you have not already done so. Finally, I would HIGHLY recommend that you add ionic liquid magnesium (either Good State or GNC brands) to a smoothie for your daughter. My kid actually wants to take the Mg (dilutes it in orange juice) because she notices that it makes her feel better. Most of us are deficient in this vital mineral. It would take several weeks to see improvements, but it is well worth looking into. I hope that you are able to find some answers soon. riordanclinic.org/2017/02/m...

[Kiandra]

No, try soothing music. She might just be backwards like infants . i think in due time she'll grown out of it

[Supermom3]

My 9yo has trouble sleeping too. We’ve spent too many nights going back and forth. In the beginning I started to give him Melatonin at night; I was also giving him Benedryl (only because he tends to get a runny and stuffy nose regularly).

After speaking with his Pediatric Specialist he was put on Hydroxyzine; which replaces the Benedryl. The Dr said it would replace the Melatonin too; but it didn’t. Since it’s all natural I’ve kept him on it and the combination seems to be working very well.

[justine_lynae in reply to Supermom3]

I have tried the dissolving melatonin with her and it was a no go. She just wasn’t having it. My mother in law had the idea of dissolving it into her nightly milk formula (Pediasure) as she loves her “growing milk” however, I haven’t tried that yet.

[Ldydy24]

Hi so sorry to hear you had a rough night. When my son was little he had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep due to his ADHD meds. His psychiatrist prescribed a very small dose of clonodine and it worked great so I would discuss with your prescribing med doctor. As my son got older I ended up adding a 1.5 Melatonin gummy to the clonodine because increasing the clonodine gave him bad dreams. The combination worked great as I gave the doses an hour apart. The melatonin also helped my son calm down after dinner as we transitioned into the evening. He is now 13 and is off both the melatonin and clonodine as he’s learning to shut down his brain. It was his choice and he’s doing well so there is hope as they get older. I was initially against adding another med on top of the ADHD meds but it worked and my son got a good night sleep and stayed asleep so the pros far out weighed the cons. Some other tips, keep her room cool, dark, limit electronics/tv or other stimuli at least an hour before bed, and make sure her stomach is full. My son gets very hungry at night after the meds wear off so he would often wake up hungry. I hope some of this info helps.

[justine_lynae in reply to Ldydy24]

Love the gummy idea! She’d be so excited to get a gummy at bedtime. Sometimes I wonder if she’s possibly having bad dreams, and not able to communicate to me? She does drink Pediasure formula before bed and I doubt it has any effect on her sleep, but at this point I couldn’t be too sure.

[Adam081911 in reply to Ldydy24]

Hi, I have some questions. How did your son learn how to fall asleep? Did you teach him something?

My son is 7 and on melatonin 5mg for a couple of months. It works great! I just wonder how long we should keep giving him melatonin..... I asked his pediatrician and she said it depends on the child but he will learn how to fall asleep eventually. We're trying not to give him melatonin when he doesn't have to wake up early the next day, but it seems like he still needs it..... He takes Ritalin during the day when he has school and out of school activities.

When did your son stop taking melatonin?

[Ldydy24 in reply to Adam081911]

Hi my son just stopped over this past summer. He’s 13 and knows his body very well so he asked to stop and so I figured why not it’s summer and the perfect time to try. He was in summer camp all summer and very active so by 8:30-9pm he was ready for bed.

I think your little guy is still young and may need the melatonin but it’s worth a try over the weekend or summer. If he has several nights having a hard time going to sleep he’s not ready to stop. My son has been taken it as a supplement for years so I also wondered if his body built up a supply. We try to keep his room cool, blackout shades, make sure he has a full stomach and some type of physical activity throughout the day. If he’s having a hard time shutting his brain down he listens to music or reads his comic books to help relax him. He goes to a Catholic school and the curriculum is over the top so in most cases he’s mentally exhausted! Hope this helps.

[Adam081911 in reply to Ldydy24]

Okay, I'll take a natural course then. My son goes to a Catholic school as well. Thanks for sharing!

[Megster97 in reply to Adam081911]

My daughter was taking melatonin for the last two years (since she started stimulant ADHD meds). It worked great, but we suspected that she didn't need it anymore and was just emotionally reliant on it. She had started going to bed a half hour early with her books and would fall asleep on her own without melatonin. When she insisted that she still needed it, she would fight sleep to prove us wrong. We tried to trick her with placebos, but she figured it out. We finally just told her she couldn't take it anymore and threw it out in front of her. After a few sleepless nights, she started falling asleep on her own and got over her mental addiction to melatonin. It took resolve by us, and luck that our instincts were correct. I know that this probably won't be the case forever. Medication/dosages don't stay the same forever and sleep may again be affected. Hopefully she'll be more able to understand the concept of want and need by then. Good luck.

[Adam081911 in reply to Megster97]

OK, parents know the best!!

I'm glad it worked for you and your daughter.

It seems like when the child is ready to fall asleep on his (her) own, it will show and parents would be able to sense that the child is ready without melatonin.

I think my son still needs it. Hopefully he will be able to tell us that he won't need it anymore in the future.

Thanks!

[Ldydy24]

Hi yes kids love the gummies! I gave mine an hour before bed and like I said we combined with a prescribed med bcz the melatonin alone didn’t help. I took one of the gummies and was out with 30 min but not my son! Their brains are wired differently so they need help shutting them down. And yes she may be having bad dreams so try to have that conversation with her and maybe change up what’s she’s eating before bed. Check Walmart or Amazon to buy gummies. I think I paid $10 for a big container of 3 ml gummies. You normally take 2 for a dose but my son only need 1 gummy to work with his nighttime med. Good luck.

[Cjkchamp]

Myson has trouble sleeping. We now have him on300 mg of magnesium glycinate nightly and I just bought him a heavier weighted blanket. He also prefers the monkey fabric for that. Good luck.

[waw2112]

My seven year old son has been taking clonodine for years now and he’s asleep in a half hour and sleeps all night

[concerned2]

Gummies are my best friend at night! My daughter has ahdh/mood disorders. I started giving her one gummy (Olle brand/purple bottle) at night and within ten minutes she is sound asleep. I verified all of this information with her doctor. She is fully rested in the mornings and no side effects. It has helped ease my own mind knowing my child can relax at night!

[Janice_H]

try flavored chewable melatonin.

[Jane_1]

My son has struggled with sleep for years. We make sure he exercises every day and we eventually started a chewable flavored melatonin. He's 62 lbs and takes 2.5mg each night right before bed. Really helps.