SPD MOM: Why Spectrum kids have sleep issues... what to do?

Lately there have been many people searching the web for answers on SPD and Sleep issues, or sleep issues on the spectrum. Some have landed on my page.. after thinking about this, it seems as though maybe perhaps there needs to be more information shared about this situation, which affects many. And not only do the effects show up during the night, throughout the night, before bedtime, or maybe even during the day, (ie: sensory discombobulation I like to call it), but for days on end, depending how bad the situation is. We all need great sleep, whether on the spectrum or not, and when we don't get it, everyone suffers for it.. So doing more research on the topic, I found a great website called, "Love to Know," which specifically interviews a Pediatric Neurologist regarding the issues of sleep for kids on the spectrum, why it happens and what to do about it. I just love those Pediatric Neurologists..

I noticed myself that my kids change their sleep habits weeks before daylight saving changes, in the Fall and Spring. It happens every single year. We never use alarm clocks, well, never set them, and my kids usually wake up at the same time every day, give or take 15 minutes. I still give Melatonin every night, 1/2 hour before bed, and make the rountine quiet and slow down. Our friends think we are nuts that the kids are in the pjs by 6:30pm, and that homework must be done well before that time.. but for us, it works. High anxiety children need to calm down sooner and earlier, as it tends to take them LONGER to do so. I have also found for me specifically, that Chamomile helps with general anxiety disorder.. although I don't take it for that, but rather to help get a good night sleep. There are capsules now one can take, and I may try that with the boys, since some drugs are not working for them, and honestly, I don't like the idea of a chemical body in the first place. There was a study done by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative medicine regarding chamamile and GAD.. and the results were hopeful.

Although we found it does take time to get many of these routines to work permanently, we found that they do, over time, work. You really need to have patience, and tenacity.