I sometimes wonder if autism moms read more ???? I feel like I am always looking for information on autism. God bless those who research and discover  things that improve the quality of life for others .

Well back to this entry . SLEEP 😴. 

Between 40% and 80% of children on the spectrum have difficulty falling and staying asleep.  

When my daughter was an infant , I had it made ! She would sleep for 5 or 6 hours a night before ever waking up . As a toddler I started to see a change in her sleeping habits ( and not for the better).  Boy do I remember many sleepless nights . My husband worked out of town alot when she was younger, and I was working fulltime , so yes I remember that time well. When she turned 3 her sleeping patterns got worse. Around that time ,my loving wonderful husband said Babe it's time for you to quit your job. My amazing sister kept her while I was at work .I was a district sales manager, and I travel everyday . Sometimes I would get home at 6 pm sometime at 8pm . I missed my daughter and she missed me . My job was demanding . I knew that would not change . She became the most important person in my life and being a mom took precedence over everything else. 

😘  By the time she was 4 she was only sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night . I would put her to bed between 8 pm and 8:30 pm. She would wake up around 1 am, and this happened several times a week. Once she was up she was up for the day . She would start to fall back asleep as I was getting her ready for school.  I became very concerned knowing how important adequate sleep is to brain development. We tried lavender lotions and baths among other things and had little success.

Lack of sleep often causes moodiness, trouble focusing and can result in a child misbehaving.  Let's face it our kids have more challenges than their neuro typical peers , so lack of sleep can be more detrimental ( in my opinion) to them.

Studies show people with ASD have irregular melatonin levels. Autistic children are also likely to get adequate REM sleep. REM sleep is important for memory, emotional processing and brain development. 

I shared my cconcerns regarding my daughters sleep habits with her pediatrician. Her pediatrician  suggested we try using  melatonin.  At first I was opposed to the idea. I felt like a bad parent giving my children something to help her sleep. I hoped things would get better over time ,but they did not.  My daughter started waking up after only sleeping 3 hrs, and she was unable go back to sleep. At this point she was in kindergarten which meant longer days and a longer week . She started an early intervention program at the age of three  and was attending school 4 days a week .Sometime had to change ! 

I spoke to her pediatrician again and agreed that sleep deprivation was more harmful than giving her melatonin. We started using it and her sleep habits improved immensely.  She started with a low dose and is still on a relatively low  dose for her age . She is now a teen . We use a liquid melatonin and have added a magnesium foot cream to her bedtime regiment.  She still has the occasional sleepless night , but the are few and far between.  She now sleeps about 9 hours a night ! 

I have heard some parent say that melatonin caused their child to have nightmares. We have not had that experience.  The melatonin and magnesium cream are a good combination for us . Different things work for different people. I just wanted to share our experience with you guys. It can be frustrating trying to find solutions and sleep deprivation does not help anyone

I AM JUST A MOM...

Again I am just a mom ,not a medical professional. So please check with your child's healthcare provider to get their opinion on this topic.