Advise on sleep meds

[salspop]

Hi Everyone! My 5 year old grandson will be going in for a "neuro" visit in a few
weeks. I am asking for advise/suggustions on medications that may be prescribed for sleep. We really don't want to medicate him,but it's getting to
the point where it is affecting his learning during the school hours.I hope someone can give me some insight on the side effects and how well these meds work.

Thank You All!
Bill (Sal's Pop)

[becky]

Bill - I haven't tried this yet, but I've heard that others have had luck with melatonin. It's a natural alternative. The time change has really thrown Will off in the last month or so, and so we are considering giving it a shot. I think you said your grandson is 5, and my son will be 5 this month - it was recommended that we start him on a 1/2 pill if we try it.

here's a website:
http://www.melatonin.com/

-Becky

[salspop]

Hi Becky, We have him on melatonin now and it's not working very well. I think he has
a tolerance built up. Good luck with Will! Happy birthday to him too!
Bill

[becky]

Shoot! Hopefully someone else has some good ideas for you.

have a great day-
Becky

[AutMom]

Some people find that vitamin deficiencies cause them to wake at night. Just a thought.

[all4autism mom]

my twins are 6 and both have autism and they have been on clonidine for 3 years to sleep.I know what its like going days without sleep .And it is hard on them especially when they are in school.I'm not suggesting you go this route it is a prescribed med but it does work for us when the melatonin did not . I would research all your options and talk to your doctor no 2 of these kids are the same so it is hard.I work with families that have children with autism .And i know alot of them are on this.Good luck

[hopeful99]

My 5 year old daughter was prescribed Risperdal to help her sleep. I would give her 1 drop every night at 8:00 and she would fall asleep within 45 minutes. The bad thing about it was that when I got her up to go to school, she would still be groogy and would fall asleep at school. She has been taking Melatonin since September 04. I give it to her at 9:00 every night and she falls asleep within 35-40 minutes. Please, understand that when I give her this medicine, I have to turn off the tv and the lights and lie down with her.

[john w humphrey]

HI EVERYONE THE MELATONIN WORKS. WE have BEEN USEING IT FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW. YOU CAN BUY IT AT GNC. MOST OF THE TIME WE LET OUR SON FALL ASLEEP BY HIS SELF. IT IS HARD WE ONLY USE IF WE NEED TO.
HE GETS UP AT 7:30AM FOR SCHOOL AND KEEPS ON TILL 11:30 12:00PM
WE DO NOT LIKE GIVING HIM ANYTHING BUT TO PUT HIM BACK ON TRACK WHEN HE STARTS STAYING UP TO 2:00and 3:oo we give him the melatonin and he is out in 30 min :) IT GETS HIM BACK ON TRACK HE IS 5 YEARS OLD

[Rebecca]

I couldn't even get melatonin down my son, so I don't know if it would work or not! He is 5 and is on Tenex, also known as guanfacine. It is a really old drug originally used as an antihypertensive, but they have found it works for sleep in autistic and ADHD kids.

[john w humphrey]

Hi Rebecca and everyone eles
WELL MY SON WILL NOT TAKE ANY MEDICINE
I GIVE IT TO HIM I HAVE TO HOLD HIM DOWN IT WORKS AND I ONLY DO WHEN IT IS NEEDED I MASH IT UP MIX IT UP WITH WATER AND SOMETHING HE LIKES AND I GIVE IT TO HIM I STILL HOLD HIM DOWN HOPE THIS HELPS

[elsayednm]

Hi

My son is 5 yrs and taking 1/4 respirdol at night and work for him . I give him a warm path with apsom salt which relax him very much and make him fall asleep immediately, do not forget the full stomach.

[AutMom]

[QUOTE=elsayednm]Hi
do not forget the full stomach.[/QUOTE]

Not sure what you mean by that...
I know that my son can't eat too close to bedtime since it can cause acid reflux.

[rob&nicky]

hi. our son joshua is just 3 and austic. sleeping is a bit of a problem...goes off really well but can be up 2/3/4 times a night which means we can be like zombies a lot o f the time. any suggestions. we have him in his own room and we do go in with him and sit with him but he wants to getup and play which at 2.30am is a bit on the early side.....
apart from the sleep myself and nicky are coping quite well and josh is slowing starting to learn sign and doing well at small school and is not too distressed with life!
bye for now
rob

[Bethintx]

We didn't need sleep meds for Ryan, but once when he was two years old, we had to get a CT scan. They gave him a "kiddie cocktail" to make him sleep. It worked the opposite! That boy was bouncing off the walls! We took him back during his regular nap and he was still the whole time. All I can suggest is watching their diet and making sure they do not nap during the day. Then make the bedtime routine. the same every time. I'm no expert, but could they be becoming dependent on the drug by Not going to sleep without it? My son loves Sprite. We promise to give hime Sprite wit a straw if he takes his medicine.

Hope it works out for y'all!

[all4autism mom]

The only way we get ours to take meds is in pill form and put it in poptarts or reese cups.The liquid is very hard for them so i don't force it i'm afraid it will go in their lungs.But this make it hard when they have a cold and need meds.no pill form for kids that i know of.Has anyone else ran across the scary stuff about melatonin about long term effects with hormones and bad dreams?

[momsmission2]

[QUOTE=rob&nicky]hi. our son joshua is just 3 and austic. sleeping is a bit of a problem...goes off really well but can be up 2/3/4 times a night which means we can be like zombies a lot o f the time. any suggestions. we have him in his own room and we do go in with him and sit with him but he wants to getup and play which at 2.30am is a bit on the early side.....
apart from the sleep myself and nicky are coping quite well and josh is slowing starting to learn sign and doing well at small school and is not too distressed with life!
bye for now
rob[/QUOTE]---

Hi, My son has had sleeping problems for 2yrs. or more now. seems like he goes into spurts. he will sleep for a wk. really good then omg hes up all night long for a wk. I have found melitonin to work on occasions. Seems to work better if not given every night. Also when he was 3 a nice warm bath, good massage, and a nice warm bowl of oatmeal also no juice or koolaid after a certian time helped alot to.
good luck :rolleyes: