I'm a new here. My son is having such a hard time sleeping. Getting his body comfortable is his main issue. He is almost 13. He as an ASD assessment later this month. He wraps himself in a duvet (specifically without a cover) which is tattered and worn because he says it keeps him the coolest. My heart breaks a little more every day as I try to watch him function without proper sleep.
Any sleep tips or bedding suggestions, please -
Hello and welcome to the group!
My son had trouble sleeping for the longest time. We finally did several things:-melatonin (we use Olly brand) 4mg 30 min before bedtime
-no screens 1 hour before bed - reading, writing, or playing quietly
-white noise machine
-a foam, ultra soft & squishy mattress topper
-softer sheets
-sometimes, if he's really having trouble falling asleep, a weighted blanket
It sounds like a lot, but it's really just part of our routine now.
Make sure the bed is comfortable, the right temperature, and texture that he likes. There shouldn't be any distracting noise. I've also seen some sort "compression blanket" on Amazon that some people like.
I feel like as adults, we spend a lot of time choosing a mattress that is comfortable for us, but kids often just end up with whatever Twin mattress was on sale, so maybe that is a consideration too.
There's tons of options out there, lots of things to try in many combinations. But I feel like, at least with ADHD, this is one thing that is solvable with just experimentation at home. It made a HUGE difference in my sons behavior, I would say at least a 50% improvement. I hope some of this helps, and good luck!
Thank you very much!!
I'll just note what has worked for us. Perhaps you are already doing most or all. Exercise. If I make sure my son gets sufficient physical activity, he sleeps better. It's challenging, particularly in winter, but I make him come with me on a 2-3 mile walk daily. For awhile, I had him work out in the gym with me, too, but he drove me nuts, so I had to stop. A blue light filter on devices after a certain hour (now that he's a teen, it's 8:00pm.) A regular bedtime. Again, easier when younger, but now he has to be in bed on time (9:40) but is allowed to watch TV for awhile. That actually helps him sleep. Like your son, he likes it cool. He often asks me to cool the room (which is quite easy in February where I live). Finally, we give his meds (stimulant) first thing in the morning (actually wake him up by giving the meds) so they are worn off midday. On school days, he gets a short acting booster in the afternoon which wears off well before bedtime. My advice for melatonin would be to check with the doctor first. Try as I might, I have been unable to find any studies on the long term effect of melatonin use in children. This is often the issue with supplements. Since they are not regulated (and, therefore, less studied) there is no good documentation or warnings regarding side effects. People often misinterpret that as there being none. That said, if his doctor is ok with it, I wouldn't worry. It's their job to know that stuff!! Good luck.
Appreciate your comments!!
Oh I feel for you! My now teen daughter didn’t sleep for YEARS. Absolutely nothing worked and we tried everything from cool rooms, to soft music, to screen free before bedtime, magnesium, melatonin, and nothing worked.
Finally, after a sleep test showed that her sleep issues were due to her adhd/anxiety and not other health problems, her doctor prescribed sleeping pills. And at that, they weren’t strong enough. They were pills that are administered to patients before surgery and they still didn’t help her sleep! The doctor then prescribed Trazodone and it worked - immediately.
The lack of sleep is very real for these poor kids. Don’t give up.
sigh! Will persevere, thank you
Hi, we've also struggled with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Our 10 yr boy seems to respond well to cooler temperatures at night. This makes sense since cooler temps trigger sleep and improves deeper sleep. We use a Chilipad cooling system to keep his bed temperature at a consistent level. Its basically a water chilling machine (can be used for heating as well) with tubes that run through a mattress pad. Its not cheap, but we found some used ones on ebay that make it more affordable. Our kids getting a good nights sleep is like the first domino that sets the tone for the rest of the day. Really hoping you find a good solution to this. It feels like never ending problem solving sometimes, but when you get it right its feels so worth it!
Thanks for your words, will keep at it
Check out the body sock/sensory sock on Amazon: amazon.com/SANHO-Dynamic-Mo...
It provides the compression without the weight or the heat 👍😄
Also super low dose melatonin. 1/4 of a 1mg Zarbees chewable melatonin might help.
ordered! will post on how it works for him
we found the right melatonin dose and our life changed for getting sleep for our entire family.
Sleep or Lack Thereof
New to Inattentive ADHD
20 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH INATTENTIVE ADHD AND ANXIETY
Written work - Inattentive ADHD
Recent Inattentive ADHD diagnosis 
