I'll try anything!!!! Major sleep issues with 2 yr old (sensory??)

smiling76 · April 2013

You guys--I'm at my wit's end here. I posted on 12-24 but wanted to reach out to my SN mamas that have so much experience with this stuff. I posted a couple of weeks ago that DS2 was having some weird issue that a few hours after he went to bed he'd wake up wide awake---leaving his room and would take anywhere from about 1-3 hours to get back to bed. Some nights it's ok--he does better--but he's still doing this majority of the week. It also takes him about 45 minutes to fall asleep in the first place (so makes me think something sensory)

I took him to the pedi to get his ears checked again and she said they are totally fine and that he has all his teeth so not teething (I was really hoping for 1 or the other--how horrible that may sound!!). She suggested an EI eval which I'm going to call today-but honestly, in my gut I don't feel he'll get services. He has some issues during the day--but mainly at night.

So I just have no idea!! I almost think he has some sensory issues because DS1 does and they show so many similarities in that dept. I talked to the pedi about melatonin and she suggested not to take it since there really aren't long-term studies on it. So I just don't know what else to do. Lavender oil isn't working. Our routine is the same very night---nothing crazy--fairly relaxing---and we go to bed the same time (within minutes) each night--which we start the routine of bath at 7pm and then he's in bed around 7:40--but not asleep until closer to 8:30 because he won't stay in his bed and/or can't fall asleep.

PLEASE. I'm DESPERATE.....any suggestions??????

smiling76 · April 2013

bubba2b:

Random ideas.

Melatonin could get your little one over a hump. But go with doc...

Is he in his bedroom, hanging out waiting to go to sleep or is he engaging you? If he is just hanging out...I would let him be. Use a gate or lock to keep him in his room.

White noise and ceiling fan helps my son.

Yeah--I'm like "this" close to getting some melatonin and trying it. BUT I just worry about the future then. Ya know??? Ugh.

OK--so in terms of what he does during this time---he basically flings himself all around his bed (he's in a twin). It's a racecar bed so he will also jump from the back of it to the front (hard to explain). But likes impact for sure. When he can't get comfy and go to sleep he starts banging on the door--and banging and banging. I go in and tell him it's time to sleep---tuck him in--kiss--and then leave the room again (door shut). This goes on for like 45 minutes. It's horrrrrible. I also have a 4.5 yr old that I'm trying to get to sleep at the same time and spend special time with too (on my own in the evenings for a while). So it's also impacting DS1's sleep as well.

When he goes to sleep finally ---I leave his door open a crack and he has a gate at his door --however I actually leave it unlocked because the way it swings it makes noise when it shuts back--so I can definitely hear if he gets up--which he's been doing. And he comes out looking for us. And we go through it all over again. I agree, if he were just hanging/playing I probably wouldn't mind "as" much--but this is just crazy stuff.

I do use white noise (rain sound) and ceiling fan--- we have been for a while. I also started using a weighted blanket (well a heavier blanket rolled up a bit) and it helped for like 2 nights and then nothing. SO CLOSE!

gremaud07 · April 2013

My son has sensory processing disorder and never slept well.

We went to see sleep specialist and the routine has helped along with melatonin to reset his schedule. His pedi, cardiologist and therapist said melatonin was ok to reset him and no more than two weeks. In the last two years we only used it handful of times and always gets him back on his schedule.

ToastieSimons · April 2013

how much is he napping during the day?

is it possible he's ready to drop his nap down to 1 or shorter nap so he's more tired at night?

have you tried giving him sensory input before bed to help him wind down?

ETA: If he's taking 45 minutes to fall asleep have you tried pushing his bedtime later?

smiling76 · April 2013

gremaud07:

My son has sensory processing disorder and never slept well.

We went to see sleep specialist and the routine has helped along with melatonin to reset his schedule. His pedi, cardiologist and therapist said melatonin was ok to reset him and no more than two weeks. In the last two years we only used it handful of times and always gets him back on his schedule.

what did the sleep specialist do? I'm curious since our pedi suggested that as a possible next step.

How much melatonin do you give (and how big is your son)? Mine is about 31 pounds. Maybe I'll give it a shot. I'm thinking a week or two won't hurt him longterm....I hope.

smiling76 · April 2013

ToastieSimons:

how much is he napping during the day?

is it possible he's ready to drop his nap down to 1 or shorter nap so he's more tired at night?

have you tried giving him sensory input before bed to help him wind down?

ETA: If he's taking 45 minutes to fall asleep have you tried pushing his bedtime later?

He's in daycare 3 days a week and they just do one nap a day for about 2 hours -and that's what we do at home too. He and his brother do sensory input before bed because they need it so badly. In fact, last night we did a TON so I thought for sure they'd sleep awesome.

I thought his bedtime was already late---- do toddlers typically stay up past 8:30?? I don't think keeping him up later will help because the few times we've been out later and he went down later it wasn't great.

ToastieSimons · April 2013

smiling76:
ToastieSimons:

how much is he napping during the day?

is it possible he's ready to drop his nap down to 1 or shorter nap so he's more tired at night?

have you tried giving him sensory input before bed to help him wind down?

ETA: If he's taking 45 minutes to fall asleep have you tried pushing his bedtime later?

He's in daycare 3 days a week and they just do one nap a day for about 2 hours -and that's what we do at home too. He and his brother do sensory input before bed because they need it so badly. In fact, last night we did a TON so I thought for sure they'd sleep awesome.

I thought his bedtime was already late---- do toddlers typically stay up past 8:30?? I don't think keeping him up later will help because the few times we've been out later and he went down later it wasn't great.

what about tight pajamas?

Unknown · April 2013

This content has been removed.

kcisthebombdotcom · April 2013

smiling76:
bubba2b:

Random ideas.

Melatonin could get your little one over a hump. But go with doc...

Is he in his bedroom, hanging out waiting to go to sleep or is he engaging you? If he is just hanging out...I would let him be. Use a gate or lock to keep him in his room.

White noise and ceiling fan helps my son.

Yeah--I'm like "this" close to getting some melatonin and trying it. BUT I just worry about the future then. Ya know??? Ugh.

OK--so in terms of what he does during this time---he basically flings himself all around his bed (he's in a twin). It's a racecar bed so he will also jump from the back of it to the front (hard to explain). But likes impact for sure. When he can't get comfy and go to sleep he starts banging on the door--and banging and banging. I go in and tell him it's time to sleep---tuck him in--kiss--and then leave the room again (door shut). This goes on for like 45 minutes. It's horrrrrible. I also have a 4.5 yr old that I'm trying to get to sleep at the same time and spend special time with too (on my own in the evenings for a while). So it's also impacting DS1's sleep as well.

When he goes to sleep finally ---I leave his door open a crack and he has a gate at his door --however I actually leave it unlocked because the way it swings it makes noise when it shuts back--so I can definitely hear if he gets up--which he's been doing. And he comes out looking for us. And we go through it all over again. I agree, if he were just hanging/playing I probably wouldn't mind "as" much--but this is just crazy stuff.

I do use white noise (rain sound) and ceiling fan--- we have been for a while. I also started using a weighted blanket (well a heavier blanket rolled up a bit) and it helped for like 2 nights and then nothing. SO CLOSE!

our experience is that at two separation anxiety peaks again. What we do is let lo sleep in our bed until it passes then we transition them back to their own room. I know this isn't for everyone-just wanted to throw it out there.

mom2pottamus · April 2013

DS has sensory issues and at 2 it was a rough go getting him to bed. It went on awhile despite everything we tried--we found out our major fail was moving him out of the crib into a single. He used to bang his back against the crib to go to sleep-so hard I used to look for bruises. However he slept! When he went to a toddler bed he cried because his bed was "broken" and then sleep troubles started.

Aside from routine, the only thing that seemed to work was letting him bring some of our soft afghans from downstairs into bed and covering him with them. We also let him watch one show before brushing teeth and reading 2 books before lights out. Also, we try and do the bath right after dinner, if we do it closer to bedtime he's a mess! Good luck I know this sucks!

mommytoconnor · April 2013

My son has major sleep issues and still has a few. He is gonna be 3 in 2 months. I have to sit with him until he falls asleep, anywhere from 10 minutes to upwards of an hour. We stick to a bedtime routine, use a soundmachine. We do proprioception before bed too and a weighted blanket. We tried using melatonin, and I was very much against it because there were not any long term studies and I was worried what it could do. His dev peds recommended it. I got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I was at one point sitting with him for over 2 hours to get him to sleep at night, which was ridiculous. So I gave in and tried the melatonin. It worked but I only used it for about 2 weeks, to sort of re-set his sleep cycle. Now it's better and I haven't used it in about 8 months or so and so far so good. I still sit with him for awhile but not nearly as long.

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I'll try anything!!!! Major sleep issues with 2 yr old (sensory??)

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