Anyone know if there is something besides Melatonin to help a child with autism sleep?? Lately she wakes up during the night at 2 or 4am and we get no sleep =(

Tina - posted on 11/16/2012

clonidine its a sleep aide perscribed by Dr. It works for my son who is 8..

Lareina - posted on 11/15/2012

Clonidine still don't keep my son asleep all night, neither do melatonin.

Debra Lynn - posted on 11/15/2012

Had good luck with 5 htp!!!!! amino that helps produce melitonan !!! yea!!!!! Jarrow brand give it 1 or 2 hours before bed with a little honey and water mix it give with dropper.

Tina - posted on 11/14/2012

Thank god for clonidine..

Bev - posted on 11/04/2012

my son got hdhd it on 9mg melatonin a night is still dose not sleep

Bev - posted on 11/04/2012

my son got hdhd it on 9mg melatonin a night is still dose not sleep

Leslie - posted on 06/23/2012

Has she been using melatonin for more that 6 wks?I found out from a health nurse that continuously using it can stop the production in the penial gland and cause sleep interuption in the child. We took our daughter who has sensory intergration disorder(it's on the autism spectrum)off as she too had been up 2-4 times per night. We gave an antihistimine to get her over the side effects(it took about 2mths for her body to start producing it again) and now she is sleeping better.If she wakes up we use the no reponse method. We give no eye contact ,say nothing,just walk her back to bed and wait outside her door to make sure she stays.If she settles then we go back to bed, if not we repete the process until she settles. It took about a week to "get it",but now if she wakes up we just do that. Good luck.I know how hard it can be to be sleepless.

Deb - posted on 06/23/2012

Clonidine 1/2 hour b 4 bedtime...falls deep asleep and sleeps from about 7:30 - 7:45 to about 6:30 or 7:30 in the am...THANK YOU GOD for Clonidine!!! :) He is six now and has been on it for almost three years. Prior to that it would take us 1 - 2 hours to get him to bed and to STAY in bed! Good luck!

Deb - posted on 06/23/2012

Clonidine 1/2 hour b 4 bedtime...falls deep asleep and sleeps from about 7:30 - 7:45 to about 6:30 or 7:30 in the am...THANK YOU GOD for Clonidine!!! :) He is six now and has been on it for almost three years. Prior to that it would take us 1 - 2 hours to get him to bed and to STAY in bed! Good luck!

Tina - posted on 06/21/2012

Hi gals! My soon to be 22 yr old son with Autism has been taking Clonidine ( a blood pressure medication) since he was about 10, before that it was Chloral Hydrate at bed time. I had to do something, he was trying to leave our apt. at 2 am. Good thing he couldn't reach the chain at 3 yrs old.

Karen - posted on 06/21/2012

Try clonidine. Works great.

Melanie From ARI - posted on 06/18/2012

Hi, this video from the Fall ARI conference might be helpful:
Help us Get Some Sleep! (Fall 2011 Conference) Melissa Olive, PhD, BCBA-D and Dan Rossignol, MD. FAAFP http://www.autism.com/index.php/video/c/...

Debra Lynn - posted on 06/12/2012

Hi, Just melatonin does not always work for my 13 year old autistic.I use Mid Nite that is the spelling. It has Chamomile herb in it that seems to do the trick.It is chewable and you could crush it easy put in a little water then use a dropper.Dollar Genral has this cheep.Also, if that does not work in an hour Just a little benadryl I use half of what it calls for these kids are so sensitive! I also notice if my daughter eats tomato sauce she does not sleep well. Try food elimination diet.My daughter had candida in her esophagus at 5 the doctor gave her antifugals and she started to sleep through the week only waking a few times a month!!! At the same time I put her on low sugar diet GFCF no egg she has an allergy to whites. Wow.............. thinking back this also helped her whole boby get stronger!!!! Good luck to everyone I truly hope I have helped in some small way!!! Debra lynn k

Lauren - posted on 06/11/2012

Don't give up and try to take care of yourself. Adults need rest too! Hang in there.

Lauren - posted on 06/11/2012

My son couldn't sleep his whole little life. We use a weighted blanket and now he falls asleep and stays asleep almost the whole night. It would take about an hour for him to get to sleep, then he would wake any where fringe 5 to 10 times a night and I would have to take anOther half an hour or so to get him back....the weighted blanket makes it take minutes to go sleep and he wakes up 1 to 3 times a night. I made one for him (they are expensive otherwise), talk to a professional (if you haven't already) and ask if you could try it, and what weight to start with.

Angela - posted on 06/07/2012

We use Melatonin and Colnidine together at night for sleep. Melatonin helps get you to sleep but doesn't always last all night. I was told by one of my Son's Dr's anybody can take up to 6 mg of Melatonin in a day. The Colnidine helps my son sleep thru the night and we take a .1 mg.

Tracy - posted on 05/25/2012

secretin

Lareina - posted on 05/22/2012

Thanks ladies

Michelle - posted on 05/21/2012

I have been giving my three year old half of an adult Calms Forte homeopathy sleep aide and it has worked great :)

Jennie - posted on 05/21/2012

My son also had problems sleeping bhe has apergers and ADHD and is on medication for the ADHD. His medicine makes him not hungry so he was under weight. He's a very picky eater to. His dr prescribed him 1mg of risperidone. He takes it at night and it makes him sleepy. One of the side effects is weight gain. He started the medication 5 months ago and he gained 10 lbs in 3 months which is great for him. Now it doesn't seem to work as well but I don't want to up the dose. He's not losing any weight or gaining any more and his sleep is ok. He use to go to sleep about 10 or 11pm and would wake up at 5am and would wake up in the middle of the night too. Be use to tell me he didn't get any sleep nit when I would check on him he would be sleeping. I hope this helps and food luck to you.

Lareina - posted on 05/21/2012

Hi Ladies,

I have a 5 1/2 year old son, he always stays up at nights and the melatonin and clonidine that my son's sleep doctor prescribes, does not hardly work. With the melatonin, he will go to sleep withing 30 to 45 minutes after taking the pill., but he would would later wake up around the same time as Andrea's daughter and he also will stay awake. The clonidine, that barely works for my child, he would fall to sleep within 15 to 30 minutes, but he would still be alert. He stills head bag all the time he still have tantrums and cry, sometimes for no reasons. It's driving me crazy !!! I still love me son very much, and I will stick with him all the way, no matter what. Stay strong ladies, you are all the only one that your child mainly needs look up to for help. Be patient and stay strong, and keep doing your best to understand them and keep showing your love and interest for them. You are the one who can help make them stronger. keep them smiling.

Kimberley - posted on 05/17/2012

My son also has sleep problems he has never really slept even as a newborn. His dr at one point also prescribed colidine, and it worked really well. The interesting thing about clonidine is in peds it helps with sleep, but at the same time my son was taking it so was my husband but my husband took it for blood pressure. Which i must admit at the time gave me cause for concern but my sons Dr told me kids matablize the drug differently which is why it works for sleep with them. :)

Leslie - posted on 05/05/2012

My little man has always had sleeping issues and while at the Dr we asked if there was anything other than melatonin and she prescribed colnidine 1mg tabs they are working wonderfully he is sleeping and actually dreaming again. Ask your Dr about it.