Sleep problems

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I've read that it can be a common thing for some kids on the spectrum to have trouble sleeping - falling asleep, staying asleep. My 10 year son has gone through periods of trouble with that off and on for a few years. We finally hit on melatonin as the "magic cure" for him not being able to fall asleep until 11:00 or 12:00 ( not good when you have to get up at 6:30 for school). Now that we homeschool it's not such a major issue but last night he was up until 1:00 -and so was I!

I am trying to figure out whether it was the fact that he was with a new friend (WOO HOO- a friend!) yesterday for about 4+ hours (lots of social interaction-more than he gets normally) or if the melatonin has stopped being effective or what? Maybe increase the amount?

We have done everything possible to make his room conducive to sleep - none of it worked last night. It doesn't help that its warm here and we have to sleep with the windows open.

I was so desperate last night that I thought "tomorrow I am moving his bedroom to the basement -it's nice and cool and quiet down there" **sigh*** but then he would hear all the sounds down there, it would be TOO dark, etc. (yes we've tried ear plugs) ...


ANy thoughts would be welcome

I think I read that melatonin can lose its effectiveness if you use it all the time. I have found that my son needs for abbout a week or 2, then he will go to sleep without it for a few weeks before we start using it again.

And I take it myself sometimes and have found that I can stay awake after taking it. If you don't go to sleep right when it hits you (15 min after taking it), 15 min later you're not sleepy anymore. So don't give it before he's ready for bed since it only works for a short time. If he's excited enough about something (like having a new friend) it won't work. I don't know if upping the dose will help in that case.

it always took me hours to fall asleep, specially when i was a child. but i never complained, just stayed lying there with open eyes looking in front at nothing and thinking about a lot of things. i could not stand up and do something, it was forbidden by my father. i had to stay quite, lying and nobody cared if i am asleep. maybe because they never actually knew that i don't sleep.

at first, i thought that the thinking was the problem, but now i also know i was never comfortable lying there on bed covered with that blanket. i have to be changing the sleeping positions very often. it's difficult to stay still with all the things around touching me. people with AS have sensory issues and that explains it (my case at least). actually, i have no idea how to solve this. i can't sleep levitating, unfortunately. the only thing i can influence is to have the bed sheets as comfortable as possible.

I've always been a light sleeper. When I was younger, it would take me a couple hours to go under and if I was still awake past 1 am, forget about it.

Now I'll just curl up with a book and wait until I feel drowsy and try to go from there. I've also found that ramen noodles seem to help for whatever weird little reason. Could it be the warm water perhaps?

Just as a follow-up to my initial post. The sleep issue has improved! We moved my son to a different bedroom - the other one was very small (which he liked) but it was extremely hot and stuffy even with the use of fans. We stopped melatonin -went from two pills each night, to one and then none. I think my son was in disbelief that he could actually fally asleep without it. We told him he could always take it if he really needed it.

We also changed the bedtime routine. He brushes teeth, etc. then comes down to kiss us goodnight and then goes to his room,reads until he falls asleep and turns his light off himself. We took the clock out of his room because that was a huge source of stress. He would lay there and think it's 10:40 and I'm not asleep! We told him don't worry about when you fall asleep because you always eventually do. So for now...no sleep problems.