I am so in the same situation, last night I got maybe 2 hours of sleep and I am here at work. Its so draining. I just want to give up and let him sleep with me. He is non stop screaming & crying. Then when I finally fall asleep he sneaks in bed with me and then I wake up put him back and then he is screaming and crying again. But I have always had him in bed with me, now I want him to sleep in a bed alone its a fight. so I know I have to say strict and consistent but its sooooo hard.
My son's sleep patterns change frequently. Last night he was up at 1am and would not go back to sleep. He walked around the liv room and watched some tv. I put him back in his crib at about 2:30 and finally he didn't resist or tantrum, but his eyes were still open when I went to bed around 3am. It's weird because he'll go through days where he oversleeps (I wake up and it's 10am and I check on him to see if he's still alive!). That might go on for 2-3 days, then he'll start waking at 7am or something plus waking 1-3 times in the night. Then sometimes he'll have a pretty "normal" schedule w/out waking and wake at normal time in morning. It's the inconsistency that drives me crazy because I never know what to expect. At least if he stayed on one schedule or the other I could be prepared.
And, unlike your dd, he HAS to have certain itms. A specific pillow w/ tassles, 2 specific blankeys, and his pacifier. Otherwise getting to sleep can be quite iffy. Sounds like you really have to go through rough times at night. Does your dh help w/ that? I hope you can get some beauty rest once in awhile!
Amber
The only thing that got us sleepign through the night was the weighted blanket and a fan runnign in her room. I wish those woudl work for you, ,maybe someone else has other suggestions. I was so excited when the weighted blanket allowed us all to sleep all night long.
sally, my children were like that to,until i started giving my 8 yr. old clodine 1 hour before bed that helped to relax him enough to fall asleep he still sometimes climbs in bed with me. my 3 yr. old would stay up and scream to i use to go inthe room alot comfort him put him back in bed ect... then i started watching the nanny lol but it did work i would put him down say goodnight when he would come out of hi room i would put him right back in his bed and not say a word took about a week but now he don't come out of his room at all and he's room is so child proof he can play in the dark actually i would find books in his bed he would read in the dark lol but eventually he would fall asleep in about an hours time
good luck and goodnight lol
Yes always the fan! Must have that wonderful white noise! Works great even for my dd. I have always used a fan myself.
Amber
My dd has always had sleep issues. As a baby, she'd get up at 2 in the morning ready to play. She's always had a hard time falling to sleep - takes HOURS and she sings and recites herself the whole way. I can put her down at 9:00 and she will still be singing/reciting at midnight or later. At the top of her lungs too. Plus, she'll only sleep for a few hours in a row. So, if she does fall asleep right way (because she didn't have a nap or something like that), she will wake up around 1 or so and do her singing/reciting thing for a few hours then in the middle of the night. My house is relatively small and her bedroom is right across from mine. Needless to say, like so many of you here, I don't get any sleep either.
Now, she has started crying and screaming at night, is afraid to sleep in her bed, keeps trying to get in my bed and is obviously scared of something in her room/bed (but can't tell me about it). She also cries out things in the middle of the night. We had a birthday party to go to Sun and Sat. night she came into my bedroom in the middle of the night crying and screaming "do you want birthday cake?" over and over. She was distraught. She screams and cries about going to bed (didn't used to), wants to sleep in "mommy's bed" exclusively and basically won't take naps anymore or even do "quiet time" in her bed (until recently she used to be so passive that she would just stay in her bed until one of us came to get her). Something is obviously going on to disturb her but I have no clue. She can't tell me. I can guess, but really, I don't know.
BTW, when she was younger, she used to need me (my hair actually) to fall asleep and was in bed with me. I HATED it because I never got any time or space to myself (not to mention DH or sleep). When she turned 2, I started operation get her to sleep in her own bed. It was BRUTAL and horrible but we got through and she slept/stayed in her own bed fine until recently (reciting for hours notwithstanding). I CANNOT go back to having her in my bed or I will have a nervous breakdown (I have nothing against kids sleeping in their parents bed btw as long as it works for all of them). It does not work for me, so I'm "picking this battle"l. My compromise is that she can come in my bed when it's light out (about 5 or so right?) but if it's dark she has to stay in her own bed. We'll see how it goes.......it's been brutal the past few nights but my experience from the past tells me that 1) if I let her sleep in my bed, there'll be no going back 2) it may suck for a while, but if I stay consistent, calm and kind about not letting her in my bed, eventually it'll work out. It'd be much easier to let her sleep with me in that it would stop the crying and battles at night, but it would leave me feeling resentful and overwhelmed and at wit's end (which I am already at!!)
I would try the weighted vests but she won't and never has tolerated covers over her. There cannot even be anything but a bottom sheet on the bed - no top covers or sheets at all. Period. And no stuffed animals. She's never been into those as a comfort ever. She's the only kid I know who NEVER had a "lovey", a special blanket or animal. I'm just wondering WHY spectrum kids seem to have so many issues with sleep - hard time falling asleep, not being able to stay asleep, reciting in the middle of the night, cover issues, etc. I know a lot of you here deal with sleep issues too, and it seems like my dd has ALL of them. Is that pretty typical for asd?? Oh, and do they ever STOP having sleep issues???
If anyone has any tips specific to my dd's sleep issues though, I'd still appreciate hearing them. Thanks!