SPD and Sleep

by Rebbecca
(WA)

Juliana Monkey

Juliana Monkey

How can I help my 3 yr old daughter get to sleep.




She cannot get to sleep almost every night. She is up till the wee hours of the morning EVERY NIGHT! She had a sleep study and they said everything is functioning properly once she was asleep. They chalk it up to the fact that she has Sensory Processing Disorder.

Any help would be great. I have her, a 1 yr old daughter and am 6 months pregnant and I am SO TIRED because I can't sleep until I know she is safe and sleeping. (We have a weighted blanket but she won't keep it on, her weighted vest, the brush for her extremities for stimuli: from OT specialist, joint compression etc....not working)

Any ideas would be great.
Thanks
Tired Mommy
Rebbecca



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Oct 20, 2016
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starstarstarstar 		My tips for finding sleep
by: Marlen

I'm 38 and overly sensitive on touch, sound, temperature and pain. The sense that is almost unresponsive is smell. So for me things like lavender won't work. But for others with heightened smell it might. Try a little at first. Might become too much otherwise.

I myself can't fall asleep when the room temperature is outside of my narrow comfort zone (22.8 to 24 °C). Test if varying temperature works for you.

Also, my brain won't shut down if there's continual little noises like gurgling of the heating system or even my dog breathing. White noise is horror for me. I use quiet music that I love. Audiobooks haven't worked for me. They keep me alert and interested. But might work for you.

Skin and touch: I hate pressure. I hate labels in my shirts. I hate folds in my bed linen. I will toss and turn if the bed is uncomfy, too soft, too hard... I like sleeping in soft socks. I like silky pillows and blankets. Blankets must not be too heavy. If weighted blankets don't work for you either, try the opposite.

And finally, meditation. None of the classical methods worked for me. I'm very creative. If I have peace and quiet my brain will just start shooting ideas and creative stuff into my consciousness. Thank you very much.

But once I start channeling the creative energy into stories at nighttime I can fall asleep. This is like inventing a story and watching it unfold in your mind. Like daydreaming if you will. And after 30 or so minutes I fall asleep. Yay!

If you try this with your kids, maybe start telling them an unfamiliar story and ask them to invent the rest of the story in their head. Who knows, maybe it works for some.

For relaxation I go into a floating tank (sensory deprivation tank) once a week. It is heavenly. Like drifting in space. Such peace.

Good luck everyone!
Mar 10, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		ideas
by: Anonymous

You have my empathy; my husband and I went through this with our first two children.

Our first didn't have an "off switch" and we would walk him for hours to get him to sleep. Our second, a year later, slept well until she was 2.

Have you tried white noise? I bought a machine for $15 which helped. I tried classical music, too, but it didn't work well.

On the brain=wave theory, no visual TV or video stimulation for two hours before bed. I was desperate for sleep...my daughter would get up and wander around, unable to fall asleep. And she was exhausted.

What works for us now? She snuggles next to me and instead of chasing her around with children's books, I read her my books. Rather monotone and boring to her...four pages later, she'll go from chatting to sleeping. It's bizarre but it worked for me.

And my 5 year old developed on "off switch" when he was 4. For him, he will stay awake as long as any light is in the room. We talk about his day, turn off the lights and he's asleep by 8.

I pray you get some badly needed rest and the sleeping issues resolve. Khat
Mar 07, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Thank you for the Help
by: Tired Mommy

Thank you to all who have replied. I can't tell you how comforting it is to hear about other mothers out there who understand. I feel alone sometimes. It is very helpful.

We did try the melatonin and even had a specialist have her go up to 6 mg. (WAY TOO MUCH) She had night terrors on that high of a dose. Sadly the smaller dose she still struggled with and would fall asleep for about a half an hour. It has been about 6 months since we did melatonin so I'm thinking I'll give it another try.

Thanks again!
Mar 06, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Im still trying to get my SPD kids to go to sleep
by: Anonymous

My 16 yr old and 10 yr old have the same difficulty- My 16 yr old refuses to take the melatonin and my 10 yr old wont go to sleep without seeing me lay down- once Im in bed she will lay down on the mattress and fall asleep.
Mar 06, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Melatonin
by: Anonymous

I am apart of another board for children with high sensitivities and spd (hsbook@yahoogroups.com) and there are several parents who have this same issue with their children. They have tried Melatonin with great success. They give anywhere from 1/4 of a mg to 1 mg every night about 30 minutes before bed. They have just tried out different doses until they found what works best for their child,what helped them fall asleep quickly but not in a drugged fashion, more naturally.

The theory is that children with spd and other disorders like autism don't make enough melatonin naturally which is the chemical that helps us go to sleep. So when they supplement what the brain doesn't make then they are able to fall asleep. I haven't tried it yet because my son (4 years) falls asleep fine but he doesn't stay asleep.

A few parents have tried it for this purpose with success but we haven't tried it yet. Good luck!
Mar 06, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help for sleep
by: Anonymous

My 10 yr. old daughter is tactile SPD. We only realized this in the last 12 months - always thought she was simply 'quirky'. Anyway, I work with an OT who recommended aromatherapy items for aiding her in sleeping. We tried several from the Therapy Shop (check it out!), and did have some success. I will say that her sleep issues have abated somewhat (compared to when she was tiny), so you may have that to look forward to.

Definitely check out some of the online sites for sensory items as with our daughter, I got some really good ideas - and often without actually buying the items they were selling. Best wishes!
Vicki

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