Sleep issues and travel---sorry long post

[mtnprotracy]

Good morning.....happy Independence Day !

I apologize for any incoherence in this post. I am running on precious little sleep.

We are heading out west for 18 days the end of this week...traveling with our family of 5 (12 yo is autistic and non-verbal) plus extended family--total of 12 of us. Part of our trip includes WDL and DCA.

Zeke (autistic 12 yo) loves to travel. He also requires VERY little sleep. While he doesn't have issues "going" to sleep, about 3 nights out of 7, he wakes around 1 or 2 am. He stays up until 5 am, goes back to sleep and wants to sleep until 9 or 10 am. He really has issues waking in hotel rooms...lighting and sounds seem to be culprits. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he is extremely happy--squealing, bouncing, laughing, trying to turn all the lights on. It seems to thrill him that most of the people he loves are in one room or suite.

So....do any of you have any suggestions or advice? He simply requires little sleep. It doesn't matter if we wake him early, go to bed early or late. It's like his brain is super-charged when he wakes up unexpectedly. I'm hoping the time difference will be in our favor--at least going out.

Have any of you used melatonin? From what I have read it seems to be more effective getting a person to sleep rather than keeping him/her asleep. Would it mix easily with food? He won't take medicine from a spoon or anything. It would have to mix with one of the 4 things he eats (macaroni, peanut butter, yogurt, or pudding) and not alter the taste of the food or juice too much. What about white noise apps or weighted blankets? If so, what kind of success did you have?

So sorry for the length of the post. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I'm sure you can sense my fear . We'll be on the road, sleep deprived and hyped up on caffeine!

I am so appreciative for this board. I feel it's a safe place to ask questions and get support. If any of you are members of other groups that are more autism specific that are helpful, please let me know. I've been to a few and lurked on some, but folks are not as kind or supportive as I have found on here....there's a lot of controversy when it comes to autism, and I certainly don't need the added drama...just the support!

Thanks again,

Tracy

 

[Mom of DisKids]

I can tell you, I started to use melatonin on advice from a friend a few months ago. What a difference!!!!! It is so different than taking an OTC sleep-aid that contains diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl). I never wake up with that groggy, dry mouth feeling. And I also like that it comes in different strengths. I started with 1mg, and was waking in the middle of the night, so now I take 2mg. It starts to take effect about an hour after taking. You could crush the tabs and put them in a food product (maybe in pudding, because they may be a bit bitter....) I get my melatonin from Walmart.....$4 a bottle--brand Spring Valley.

On a side note, I also have a son who has SPD, and as he gets older, I would have no reservation about giving him melatonin!

 

[Rekenna]

Hi! I read your post and smiled to myself b/c DS3, almost 4!, has autism and evey once in a while gets in these moods to wake up in the middle of the night, play very happily and then crash from 9-11am-as a matter of fact he did this just yesterday!

We do use melatonin, it helps him to fall asleep. He is a little boy and takes only 1, sometimes 2 at a time. Melatonin is safe to use, it's a natural supplement, you can get the same level of melatonin in a cup of cherries.

I don't necessarily know if it will keep your son asleep, but it should help him settle down. The excitement of being in the hotel with everyone in the same room may just be too much! DS3 likes this too, as do my other 2 boys.

I just wanted to let you know that Melatonin is safe to use, try it yourself to see. You can crush the tablet(s) and put them in juice. The ones that work best for DS3 are the chewable ones, they taste like orange candy and are about the same size and color as Smartie candy.

Good luck! I hope you guys have a safe and fun trip!

 

[krisnme]

Not to scare you, but.. DS19 still has an awful sleep pattern! It has gotten easier to deal with as he has gotten older. one of the best things I ever did was get him a handheld video game at about 8. he was given permission to use it when he couldn't sleep, and at least it kept him from bouncing off the walls. I know many people say it is too stimulating, but try 3-4 hours of hyper kid and you would try anything for at least quiet activity. he still goes to sleep very late(early?) and is pretty much non-functional until 9 or 10am. would a portable dvd or game keep your DS quiet during his "witching hours"? what about a walk around the hotel grounds to tire him out? When traveling with DS when he was younger, I always brought a portable door alarm out of fear that I may sleep too deeply and miss him opening the door to go wander. you will probly be exhausted after your busy days so might be something for you to consider as well. DS has been to WDW 15-20 times and it really is a magical place for him. Good luck!

 

[staceyhzoo]

My dd (5) does this. She has required little sleep from the beginning...yay.

I just started her on melatonine on Tuesday. We started at 1mg. Tuesday she woke up at 5 am and watched a movie and went back to sleep for an hour. Yesterday she woke up at 2am and was up for a while. She stays in her room and plays/talks to herself in her bed or watches a movie (or talks the entire dialogue out start to finish)

Tonight I increased her to 2mg and she fell asleep within 20 mins. She's been asleep for 2.5 hours and is tossing and turning-usual for her.

We've used a weighted blanket for a yr now and LOVE IT! She does so much better with it. I made my own, they are so expensive to order. I can tell you how if you like. I'm in NC too.

I will be happy to keep you posted on her progress. She sounds like your ds. She is happy and joyous during her middle of the night solo parties. Luckily, she doesn't do it on vacation since we allow later bedtimes. I'll probably eat those words come December

 

[minkydog]

My 16yo Christian is severely mentally handicapped and autistic. Like your son, he can have some interesting sleep habits.


We went through a real bad time of it when he started going through puberty, wanting to stay up all night and sleep until 11-12. On the advice on his neurologist we started him on melatonin 3mg(300mcg). It has really helped him. Most recently he was started on an antidepressant to control his drooling. One of the side effects is drowsiness. Between that and the melatonin, he sleeps pretty well now.

 

[Rekenna]

We've used a weighted blanket for a yr now and LOVE IT! She does so much better with it. I made my own, they are so expensive to order.

We started using the weighted blanket for DS3 too, and it really helps him calm down to go to sleep. He has started this new thing were he starts screaming and destroying his room right at bed time-I think it's just b/c he is really tired, hoping this is just a phase. Last night he had his melatonin, 1 mg, I rocked him and put the weighted blanket on his legs, put him in his new Thomas train bed (he his new bed) and put the blanket on his legs, and he put the pillow over his head confused3 every night) and he slept all night.

My aunt made his weighted blanket from instructions I recieved from his OT, he also has a lap pad. Both were made with Buzz Lightyear material.

He typically lies down in bed with his juice cup and goes to sleep and we don't have all this drama. I think we need to brush him more and get his sensory stuff even more under control at bedtime so he can calm down enough to sleep.

To the OP, I really hope these discussions are helping you with strategies for your son. I find this thread interesting and really want to know more about other people's strategies for bed time. I also like hearing about the older children/young adults and the strategies to help them as well-we will all be there someday!

 

[JLCJMC]

My son is 16(he also has an ASD) and has been using melatonin for about a year. It does help with getting to sleep, not so much with staying asleep. His doctors (we have several) recommended it and we have been very pleased.

How about checking with your son's doctor about the possibility of giving him the melatonin when he wakes up and begins bouncing around?

We also usually stay at a place like Embassy Suites(except at Disney ) when there is more than just the two of us in the travel group. That way if he is having difficulty settling down (or just being with people) he can have is own space.

I hope that you have a wonderful trip.

 

[nyrebecca]

We haven't tried melatonin yet, but I am thinking we may give it a shot.

My son will be 13 in a few months, he goes to bed at 10 pm, falls asleep after "talking"/laughing/singing/"talking"/making animal noises till about 1 am and then is up getting ready for school at 6 am during the week.

The longer I let him sleep later in the morning on the weekends the later he will stay up at night !!! Learned that lesson the hard way

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted on here...this info is amazing and it is great to know we all aren't alone.

OP , I wish you the best of luck in getting some sleep on vacation !

 

[EvangelineG]

My sons have Aspergers and similar sleep issues. We use Melatonin as well, and have used it for about a year. It really helps with getting to sleep more quickly and does seem to help with quality of sleep as well. We are able to buy it in liquid form. It has a slight berry flavour, but is undetectable in something like OJ.

For our upcoming trip we've opted for a vacation villa where we can each have our own rooms. In a hotel room none of us end up getting very much sleep. Good luck!

 

[disneyworldmom2]

We have used melatonin successfully for our son. Our developmental pediatrician recommended it, and it works great when his sleep cycle in "off". It comes in different strengths. It also comes in liquid form, just be sure to check the expiration date on the bottle. The only side effect I've ever noticed was the one the doctor warned me of.... it can sometimes turn stool greenish. Good luck!

 

[nyrebecca]

I just wanted to say thank you for the OP for starting this post, and for everyones input on the use of melatonin.

We started it with my son last Sunday night and the change was amazing. He hunkers down in bed and is asleep in 15 minutes at most and sleeps thru the night ! When his alarm goes off at 6 am, he is getting up on his own and is in a happy mood.

We opted for the 3 mg strawberry meltaway tabs. He is 190 lbs and we spoke the dr and decided that was a good choice to start with.

Thank you again to everyone !!

 

[minkydog]

I just wanted to say thank you for the OP for starting this post, and for everyones input on the use of melatonin.

We started it with my son last Sunday night and the change was amazing. He hunkers down in bed and is asleep in 15 minutes at most and sleeps thru the night ! When his alarm goes off at 6 am, he is getting up on his own and is in a happy mood.

We opted for the 3 mg strawberry meltaway tabs. He is 190 lbs and we spoke the dr and decided that was a good choice to start with.

Thank you again to everyone !!

I know~! That stuff is like a miracle drug~!

 

[gritzel4]

We are big fans of Melatonin in this house! We have been using it for about 3 years now. My DS (13) ASD/ADHD currently takes cherry flavored sublingual (dissolves under the tongue, though we crush and put in water or juice). The sublingual dissolves completely and he does not even notice it - unlike the regular tablets of Melatonin that never completely dissolved. GNC is the place I find the sublingual tablets. Good luck!