How to help DD sleep?

[frugalmama]

DD hasn't been sleeping well in her room, and it's affecting the rest of the family. She naturally is a night owl, staying up until 4-5 am and then sleeping until noon-1pm or later, and while I'd love to change that I can deal with it. However she has started a thing of she won't sleep in her room - she says it is scary. This started about the time we deep cleaned her room so there is a lot more space in there now and the floor is now bare fwiw.

 

She is fine if I let her fall asleep elsewhere and then move her to her bed, but she wants to fall asleep either on me or grandma which doesn't work well for either of us.

 

Any ideas? Mama needs her sleep too!

[Night Elf]

Does she already have a nightlight? That's a possibility. It's even possible to live a productive adult life still using a nightlight. Ask me how I know. :tongue_smilie:

 

Does she have a stuffed animal or doll that can keep her company?

 

Can you get a cd player or ipod speaker and play soft music for her? Dd14 falls asleep to Reiki music each night. Otherwise it's too quiet and she can't relax.

 

How about one of those projectors for kids rooms that projects stars onto the ceiling?

 

Do you read aloud while she's laying in the bed? That might help her settle in.

[KnitWit]

Have you ever tried Hyland's homeopathic remedies? They have one called Calms Forte 4 Kids? http://www.hylands.com/products/calms4kids.php We have had success with that.

 

Also, maybe start a new bedtime routine focused around her room? Maybe a little warm milk at bedtime? Would she try chamomile tea with honey? My kids liked that after reading Peter Rabbit. :)

[Slipper]

Can you lay down with her until she falls asleep in her room? Then you move to your room. That way you aren't having to move her after she falls asleep. If you fall asleep, then just move yourself to wherever. :) This may help her feel safer.

[Mommyof4ks]

Can you lay down with her until she falls asleep in her room? Then you move to your room. That way you aren't having to move her after she falls asleep. If you fall asleep, then just move yourself to wherever. :) This may help her feel safer.

 

This is what I do too. My youngest is 7, and he still will not fall asleep on his own, because he is scared. I know many think that is awful at 7, but my measuring stick has always been, he will not go off to college still..., so one day he will fall asleep on his own.

[frugalmama]

Does she already have a nightlight? That's a possibility. It's even possible to live a productive adult life still using a nightlight. Ask me how I know. :tongue_smilie:

 

She sleeps with the full room light on. Anything less is too dark for her. This is a kid who as a months old baby was terrified of the dark to the point of requiring a flashlight to be on in the car on night trips.

 

Does she have a stuffed animal or doll that can keep her company?

 

Right now in her bed she has a build a bear, clifford, emily elizabeth, t-bone, and several dolls.

 

Can you get a cd player or ipod speaker and play soft music for her? Dd14 falls asleep to Reiki music each night. Otherwise it's too quiet and she can't relax.

 

I have not tried the soft music, but her bed shares a wall with the living room and the TV is on that wall. Grandma normally has it on quietly.

 

How about one of those projectors for kids rooms that projects stars onto the ceiling?

 

Possibly, but I'm not sure she could tolerate that much dark

 

Do you read aloud while she's laying in the bed? That might help her settle in.

 

I don't anymore since she started reading on her own. She gets frustrated as I can only read short stories or chapters before I run out of air {I have asthma}. She normally reads to herself though.

 

Answers in Bold

 

Have you ever tried Hyland's homeopathic remedies? They have one called Calms Forte 4 Kids? http://www.hylands.com/products/calms4kids.php We have had success with that.

 

Also, maybe start a new bedtime routine focused around her room? Maybe a little warm milk at bedtime? Would she try chamomile tea with honey? My kids liked that after reading Peter Rabbit. :)

 

I haven't tried the Hylands. We used to use a stuff called Humphrey's teething liquid when she was a baby / toddler and it worked WONDERS on her when she was over stimulated or tired to help her calm down and get her to sleep. But I haven't been able to find it in a long time.

 

Can you lay down with her until she falls asleep in her room? Then you move to your room. That way you aren't having to move her after she falls asleep. If you fall asleep, then just move yourself to wherever. :) This may help her feel safer.

 

It would work, except that once I'm asleep I'm out for several hours if not the entire night. Since I have to be up at certain times for medications it's just not an option.

[Celia]

I'd really work on getting her to start sleeping at more normal hours. Is there any particular reason you're letting her keep that routine as it's something you said you'd love to see changed? If not, try waking her up earlier and exposing her to sunlight as soon as she's up, and giving her a consistant bedtime routine. If she currently often goes to sleep at 4am, I'd move it back to 3am the first week, and keep going back from there about an hour a week until she's going to bed as the sun goes down. If she wants to lay with you to go to sleep, I'd consider going with that until she's getting to bed on time, while looking for ways to make her feel more secure.

[Celia]

You might also consider melatonin to help her reset her sleep/wake cycle.

 

Regarding her fear of the dark, how's her night vision? Does she have trouble seeing in dimly lit areas? Just curious, because it turns out my ds, who was terrified of the dark as a child, had an eye condition that explained this.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Celia

[frugalmama]

I'd really work on getting her to start sleeping at more normal hours. Is there any particular reason you're letting her keep that routine as it's something you said you'd love to see changed? If not, try waking her up earlier and exposing her to sunlight as soon as she's up, and giving her a consistant bedtime routine. If she currently often goes to sleep at 4am, I'd move it back to 3am the first week, and keep going back from there about an hour a week until she's going to bed as the sun goes down. If she wants to lay with you to go to sleep, I'd consider going with that until she's getting to bed on time, while looking for ways to make her feel more secure.

 

We've tried for over 2 years to change her sleep schedule and it hasn't worked yet. She comes by being a night owl honestly - we all are. I'd be thrilled with her heading to be around midnight when the rest of us do :D

 

 

The ONLY way I've even been able to get her to sleep earlier than that is to give her a full day of something new and mentally stimulating {like going to a children's museum, science fair, field trip, etc}, and it's just not practical to do that on a daily basis.

 

FWIW she has suspected ASD as well.

[frugalmama]

You might also consider melatonin to help her reset her sleep/wake cycle.

 

Regarding her fear of the dark, how's her night vision? Does she have trouble seeing in dimly lit areas? Just curious, because it turns out my ds, who was terrified of the dark as a child, had an eye condition that explained this.

 

Hmm...I don't think we've ever had her night vision checked. I do know that she is EXTREMELY light sensitive - we took her for an eye exam at about a year old and the Doctor was worried as her eyes were so light sensitive. She is supposed to wear sunglasses all the time when out in the sun, but trying to get her to do so is an exercise in futility.

 

ETA: What dose of melatonin would you recommend? I am not at all familiar with it, but at this point I'm willing to try almost anything. We've been using benedryl but it has lost effectiveness for a sleep aid {but it does improve her allergies}.

[Starr]

Put her to bed at midnight on a sleeping bag in your room?

[aggieamy]

You might also consider melatonin to help her reset her sleep/wake cycle.

 

Regarding her fear of the dark, how's her night vision? Does she have trouble seeing in dimly lit areas? Just curious, because it turns out my ds, who was terrified of the dark as a child, had an eye condition that explained this.

 

Yes to the melatonin. It's the only way my niece will go to sleep. Otherwise the poor thing will be up until 3 or 4 am trying to go to sleep and will be miserable. We get it at Whole Foods.

[Celia]

I totally sympathise with the sleeping issues that ASD causes, as my ds is on the spectrum as well. And actually, in doing research about his eye condition, I read that in kids with ASD, the gland that produces melatonin is often not functioning properly).

 

To check your dd's night vision, just try taking her out for a walk at night, at a time when you can see by the light of the moon, and see how she manages in comparison.

 

The melatonin that I've found works best is SleepSense by Preferred Nutrition. It's a melatonin b12 combo, and you put the pill under your tongue till it dissolves. It has 3mg of melatonin, but I break it in half for the kids. We only give it as-needed. To use it on a regular basis, I would research it more before hand. I don't know if it's a problem to do so.