Sleep Issues with 7 Yr Old Son Who Has Autism

Run, don't walk, to www.tacanow.org This is a support group for families of autism run by families of autism. They have been through everything you have and will. There will be someone you can 'mentor' with to help with issues such as this. There is also an extensive website that you can look through for answers/suggestions.

What works wonders for us is Kirkman's Slo Release Melantonin 2.5 mg. Another thing is how are his bowel movements and his belly (extended at all)? He could be having gut issues that wake him up.

My son has HFA also and had sleep issues. My dr. ran a urine test that checked his neurotransmitter levels and found a couple of them were out of whack, especially his seratonin. He gave him a mouth spray, something called like 5-HTP, that I gave him for a few months. Also at this same time, I found that he was gluten and dairy intolerant (thru blood tests and elimination diet) and I cut those things out of his diet. I'm not sure what worked the best but his sleeping did a complete 180 (for the better) and his nighttime incontinence completely disappeared immediately. He was just turning 5 at the time. It changed his daytime disposition too. No more meltdowns and tantrums.

I don't really have advice, but did want to tell you that my 8 year old, who has Aspergers, is up at 6:00 am like clockwork regardless of what time he goes to bed or what else is going on. This summer we had days that they just ran themselves ragged and didn't get to bed until after 10:00 and still he would be up at 6:00.

Here's my only thought....sleeping from 8 - 4:30 is giving him 8 1/2 hours of sleep a night, not enough for his age. Would he sleep if you put him to bed at 6:30? You said he slept from 4:30 - 4:30 that one time, was he better rested the next day after having 12 hours of sleep? I think for the school year I would just put him to bed early enough so that he gets the appropriate amount of sleep even if he is waking at 4:30.

Good luck,
K.

Sounds like possible adrenal burnout, so his adrenal glands don't shut down at night to allow him to relax. My friend had a 9 year old boy with autism and her chiropractor had her give him 1 tablespoon of liquid calmag from Bluebonnet or Lifetime (blueberry flavor) or Apex CalMag Plus and the only place online I can find this one is ( http://www.worldlifesupplements.com/products_main.html ) and 1-3 Drenamin from Standard Process....all at night.

She got me taking the Adrenal from Apex in the AM and my energy is amazing and I feel more balanced. Maybe 1/2 in the AM for your son might help?

Awwww...poor kid. I have not been through your exact situation, but you know how babies sleep longer when they go to bed earlier? What if he goes to bed earlier than his brothers, like at 7? Do you think he might sleep later then? Sorry--no other ideas on this O..

My son does the exact same thing!!! and I have also tried everything. Mine is 3 yo. One thing that has worked at least for me, is my son goes to school half day, but he goes in the afternoon, that gives him time to sleep in. My son wakes up around 3 and goes back to sleep around 6 and wakes up again around 10 so that gives me some time.
Does he goes to school half time or full time? Is there any school in your district that is in the afternoon?
Sorry I can't be of more help, this is the only thing that I can do.
Good Luck

WOW I hear how upset and worried you are..that can be a real problem. Have you contacted your local regional center and asked if they would pay for a sleep specialist? Another suggestion might be a developmental pediatrician they have more insight into the needs of your child than a regular ped.

Penny Amic CEO/Clinical Director
Special Beginnings Inc.
An Early Intervention Network

Since he is so consistent with his sleep patten, and falling and staying asleep and getting enough sleep is not his issue (which is the case for many kids with ASD) I would suggest that you consult a pediatric sleep specialist and find out if this issue has nothing to do with his ASD. That sounds like a lot of sleep to me, and if he is still sleepy, and falling asleep at school, I would be looking at something more like narcolepsy or a difficulty with the quality of his sleep that is causing his issue.

M.

there are a few things i would recommend.

1) try giving him a natural sleep supplement. it may help him rest a little longer.

2) trying sitting and talking with him and saying, "we arent going to get up out of bed until the alarm goes off" and set him an alarm clock. maybe if he wakes up and realizes the alarm hasnt gone off, here will continue to lay there and maybe fall back asleep.

My 14 year old son has bi-polar and his sleep pattern is similar to your sons. No matter what time he goes to bed, he's up by 5 or 6am. He actually puts himself to bed around 9pm now because he's tired and falling asleep. As he has gotten older, he will sleep longer if we have grounded him from electronics (he thinks there's no reason to be awake early). It is very hard to change someone's sleep habits--their natural body clock. It's frustrating in our house because we have two kids who are night owls and two who go to bed early and rise early....the early birds are the two bi-polar kids.
We have had a little problem with them falling asleep at school, and we just make sure they get to bed early, and a nap on the weekends has worked too.