[livingwith]

My 3 1/2 year old son has ASD with ADHD and he has trouble staying in bed during sleep. To him, if he wakes at 2 a.m., it’s party time. Typically, he’ll empty the refrigerator contents (including eggs and ALL the liquids) onto the kitchen floor (he has by-passed every type of lock I’ve used); climb on top of the fridge or bookcase to get things formerly out of his reach (including pens and markers to write on the walls with); empty the contents of the medicine cabinet; squeeze...Read the full article

[MsMelanie]

I have three children on the spectrum. My oldest, who is about to turn 17, was diagnosed with ADHD only when he was young and had severe sensory processing issues and falls more into the AS category but with the Hyperactivity.

The good news: It became more controllable as he got older. I hope this gives you hope.

When he was younger I was told by his doctor to give him coffee for his severe asthma. He liked coffee and not only did it help his asthma but it also curbed the hyperactivity. Another thing we used at times was "Sleepy Time Tea" which is a chamomile blend and it did help. He got a special little tea pot and cup and it was a ceremony ritual that he loved. I am a big tea drinker so he felt like he was being grown up like me which helped him develop a taste for the tea. The thing is that I often had to rotate what we were trying because sometimes it would work and othertimes it would not. Another herbal supplement we used was Calms which is another chamomile/herbal in a tablet form. Another thing I had to do with him was I had to lay down with him in his bed and guide him to peaceful thoughts (like a guided meditation) or sometimes I had to put my arm across him to still him (he liked the pressure sometimes but then other times couldnt stand it). Sometimes whitenoise or calming music helped.

Another thing that sometimes helped was I would try to tire him out in the afternoon; running, jumping on a trampoline, as he got older it was skateboarding...anything physically exhausting. Then we would finish up the evening with a warm bath, tea or whatever ritual was important at the time. As a teen, he still has trouble turning off his mind and sleeping but something we use with success is valerian root which is an herbal and I would not recommend it for someone young without a doctors approval. With any of these suggetions I would strongly urge you to ask your doctor before giving them to him because I dont know what his allergies may be and your doctor would know what is best and then can monitor his response for you.

With my youngest who is 6 and has AS, he does not have the hyperactivity (although he often craves sensory touch input and so will throw himself against everything). His pediatric neurologist recommended that I give him melatonin and it helps quite a bit. I only use it when he is particularly having trouble falling asleep and I have noticed that it does help him stay asleep. I found it in liquid form at the healthfood store and I give him the equivalent of .25mg mixed in a medicine cup with sunnydelight or orange HiC (an orange drink seems to help mask the flavor best). The neurologist suggested I give him much more than that (1-4 mg) but the small amount works, so I stick with that. Even though I give him the melatonin, I must also lay down with him until he falls asleep because he fights it because his anxiety of sleeping alone is too great. But he is usually out within five minutes, when on other nights without melatonin it can take 1.5 hours.

I hope these suggestions are helpful and you find something that works for your son. Sleep for mom is sooooo important. Nap when you can (even if you have to get a sitter)! Again, check with your doctor so you can get proper dosing information. Best of luck to you!