My 11 yr old is one of those kids who doesn't look challenged - high IQ, very verbal, but still has the full range of SPD issues: auditory, visual, vestibular, dyspraxis, dysgraphia, etc. (I get tired just trying to remember all the terms!)

He was only diagnosed about 20 months ago, and is currently getting OT. Our worst problem right now is his insomnia; it takes him 2 to 3 hours every night to fall asleep, and if I try to get to sleep while he's still awake, he gets extremely anxious. (took years to wean him off the nightlight) So I am flat-out exhausted, always too tired and getting more and more frustrated. On one hand I understand, as I had sleep problems at his age, but on the other hand, I'm dying for 7 hours out of 24 to call my own.

He gets no caffeine in his diet, is strictly gluten-free, on supplements prescribed by his GI for malabsorption, so we've looked at the medical part of this. I think it's sensory in nature, so would appreciate suggestions.

Maureen

I just wrote about this in the other thread so I'll copy and paste:

My son was a terrible sleeper from birth to age 9 years. As a baby he wouldn't sleep unless he was touching me in some way. I breastfed him for a year and he never would take a pacifier, I was his pacifier. Of course everyone assumed i was spoiling him. As he got older, it would take him longer and longer to fall asleep. His worst was around 6-7 years old (around diagnosis time). A good night was an hour for him to fall asleep, bad night 3-4 hours. He would mostly stay asleep once he was sleeping, but getting him to sleep was awful! Things that helped him: routine, CD of ocean waves (worked as a white noise), joint compressions, weighted blanket...and therapy and maturity played a role too. By the time he was 8, it took him only an hour. By the time he was 9, it took an average of 30 minutes. He turned 10 in May and it takes him 15-20 minutes tops. He doesn't need the CD or the joint compressions anymore, and uses the weighted blanket only twice a week.

Then I'll add:
I can never remember the specifics of his diagnosis either. I know he has low muscle tine and proprioception problems but can't remember the rest. My son also has anxiety along with his SPD. His worries all seem to come out at bedtime. He would cry to me, I don't know how to fall asleep!

I would try melatonin with your son. I had bought the liquid form, but my older son said it was too spicy and he wasn't willing to try the chewables after I bought those. So between therapy, doing joint compression when he's especially agitated, CD of ocean waves, a weighted blanket (also highly recommend--very calming), and sitting in his room until he was asleep--we've finally worked toward him falling asleep in 15-ish minutes. That's the long road without melatonin.

Now my younger son (not officially SPD, but he's a seeker). He was always a great sleeper. Bedtime routine and tuck him in, then he was asleep quickly. Until around Kindergarten sometime. He started taking longer and longer to fall asleep. This was around the time I bought the liquid melatonin for older son. Luckily younger one liked the taste. He takes it and then we do bedtime routine, by the time I tuck him in, it's taking effect. He's asleep in 10 minutes. He's about 50 lbs and I give him 2 chewables (1 mg each). I tried 3 but he said he was too sleepy in the morning.

If you can't do the melatonin, I'd do the weighted blanket, maybe even try joint compressions, at least on the bad nights. My younger one loved big brother's weighted blanket that I bought one for him too. He uses it every night.

I just read an interesting article about sleep on this blog...
http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com/...ssues.html
I hope it helps

After doing some research, I found it to say white noise helps some kids or a CD of nature sounds, lava lamps, ect.

I went out and bought these things last night because our daughter SELDOM sleeps thru the night. I think the CD helped her because she slept all night

Hooray!!

(07-29-2011, 02:47 AM)LynnNBoys Wrote: I would try melatonin with your son. I had bought the liquid form, but my older son said it was too spicy and he wasn't willing to try the chewables after I bought those. So between therapy, doing joint compression when he's especially agitated, CD of ocean waves, a weighted blanket (also highly recommend--very calming), and sitting in his room until he was asleep--we've finally worked toward him falling asleep in 15-ish minutes. That's the long road without melatonin.

Melatonin is God's gift to mothers. It has changed my whole family's life. I buy the pill and use a spoon to break it down. Then I mix the powder into yogurt (or applesauce). Nighttime yogurt has become of our night routine (with or without melatonin) and now represents sleep to both of my girls. I take it every night too and for the first time in 10-15 years I am able to go to sleep at a "normal" time on a regular basis.

My 12 year old was diagnosed with SPD just after her father died two years ago. Since that time she has grown out of many of the symptoms of SPD she had as a child. I recently found out she has also been suffering from a form of arthritis from her father which causes her SPD to rocket. By chance she found an herbal combination (Curamin if anyone wants to know) at the Vitamin store has help reduce her pain & improved her outlook.
But she has suffered with Insomnia for so a long time (it seems like one-long-nite). Melatonin gives her mirganes, everything else I have tried has not worked or worked the opposite -other than exhausting her completely, then she goes to sleep.
But her normal cycle is up @ 1-4pm (her morning) late into the nite she might fall asleep between 3-5am. she`s homeschooled this year & I`ve removed ALL stimuli from her in the evenings (TV, Cell). We live with my parents since my husbands death and i care for them ( they are in their 80`s). So we have to sleep in the same master bedroom together. I`m about nuts. I`m going thru Menopause (triggered by my husbands death) and can bearly find the willpower and energy without crying. She`s starting new OT next week, i hope this will help some.

There`s got to be some better answers. HELP...

Appreciatively,Exhausted

Weighted blankets.

Melatonin is good too, but my blanket has actually helped me more than melatonin to the point where I don't take melatonin at all anymore. Trader Joes chewable peppermint flavored I found more effective than other brands for melatonin, though they're much smaller amounts than some take. Many for me wouldn't put me to sleep but would make me grumpy in the morning.

But seriously, a weighted blanket is huge. Weighted blanket + low dose melatonin is generally my suggestion.

We use Melatonin & it helps for us - BUT.... I am only using it perhaps twice a week for fear that she'll grow "immune" to it. LOL.

I'm a young adult with SPD, and I've had issues with insomnia pretty much my whole life, as have my brother and cousin with SPD. I tend to have trouble sleeping because when I settle down I become really oversensitive to noise, touch of fabrics and even small vibrations of my bed. When I was 10ish I had a whole week where I couldn't sleep and I heard this agonizingly loud beeping and it turned out that the smoke detector in our basement three floors down was out of batteries. I have to distract myself and block out noise in order to get to sleep, because if I'm distracted I'm less likely to be bothered by small irritants. Listening to audiobooks with headphones in works best for me (I've probably listened to the harry potter audiobooks hundreds of times), but I will also listen to calming music and distract myself by telling myself stories. I've never tried white noise, but it works well for my cousin (who's 13)