I have two children well toddlers. They are 3 and 18 months both have sensory issues. I have not slept more than 45 minutes at a time since Melanie was born in 7/11. She is up all times of the night 30 to 45 mins at a time. I am worried that its too much but she will sleep 1 to 3 hours for her nap during the day. I have approached her OT about a weighted blanket and they have dismissed my worries and I think the intervention is needed. They have gave us the brush to brush them both with. Bath time is a nightmare for both of them. I need to know where to go next I know I need sleep she needs sleep and so does my three year old. He has bedtime issues also and he's hard to fight so to say. Bedtime is a two to three hour ordeal. What can I do I have tried everything no tv's a fish tank for gentle noise and a very dim light. We take a bath around 6 bedtime is about 8. I just can't take it much more I hate watching my babies suffer and I know that they have to be. Any idea's would be greatly appreciated.
Toddler with sensory issues need help...
- Thread starter Mommyof4in11
- Start date
What time do they get up in the morning? Does the 3 year old take a nap? What do they both sleep on, toddler bed? Crib? Do they use pillows? How do they fall asleep, do you lay them down and then go about your business or how is that done? Does the 15 month old have comfort items ie a favorite blanket or animal, bottle or binky?
And then I will have more to say. Haha
And then I will have more to say. Haha
I can see where a person would be searching for help. What I would start with is looking for the older threads. This really is not an uncommon topic. Many of us have had issues of one kind or another at bedtime.
Knowing where you live (general we dont want an address or anything like that) Maybe just a state or country and A little more info on the sensory issues they have been given. To me it seems a little young especially 3 months to be able to identify that. But I dont know it all. Are you thinking autistic?
I can make a large number of suggestions. Just a little more info so we can be a little more specific. In the mean time I will look for the links I have had in the past.
There are some generic starting points.
Diet (many of the moms seem to have a better handle on "sleeping foods" than I so I will let them join in.
Day time activity: Especially if it is winter where your are. You need to do some out of the box thinking to get them using some of their energy at appropriate times. This will probably require you to also do more as at those ages you will have to prompt and supervise.
The wind down to the day. Should be consistent providing triggers and cue's. A visual schedule may even help in some extreme cases.
A little sleep knowledge: Your sleep is required: and it banks. for example if you need 8 hrs of sleep a night and you miss out on two hours. You will need to make up that loss of two hours. If the same thing happens the next night you will need to make up 4 hrs, ect ect, ect. That said making up sleep does not need to be done in blocks of time. You can sneak in a hour here and there to balance the books so to speak. You and your husband probably could accurately guess the minimum sleep you require. Your kids needs may be slightly different. If you dont get caught up on your sleep. Your body will do that for you probably when you dont want it to. Like church, or while lunch is cooking.
Some more details and I am sure you will get some more specific advice.
Knowing where you live (general we dont want an address or anything like that) Maybe just a state or country and A little more info on the sensory issues they have been given. To me it seems a little young especially 3 months to be able to identify that. But I dont know it all. Are you thinking autistic?
I can make a large number of suggestions. Just a little more info so we can be a little more specific. In the mean time I will look for the links I have had in the past.
There are some generic starting points.
Diet (many of the moms seem to have a better handle on "sleeping foods" than I so I will let them join in.
Day time activity: Especially if it is winter where your are. You need to do some out of the box thinking to get them using some of their energy at appropriate times. This will probably require you to also do more as at those ages you will have to prompt and supervise.
The wind down to the day. Should be consistent providing triggers and cue's. A visual schedule may even help in some extreme cases.
A little sleep knowledge: Your sleep is required: and it banks. for example if you need 8 hrs of sleep a night and you miss out on two hours. You will need to make up that loss of two hours. If the same thing happens the next night you will need to make up 4 hrs, ect ect, ect. That said making up sleep does not need to be done in blocks of time. You can sneak in a hour here and there to balance the books so to speak. You and your husband probably could accurately guess the minimum sleep you require. Your kids needs may be slightly different. If you dont get caught up on your sleep. Your body will do that for you probably when you dont want it to. Like church, or while lunch is cooking.
Some more details and I am sure you will get some more specific advice.
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They are both up earlier around 7:30 or 8 am my three year old no longer naps only when were in the car otherwise he's a bundle of energy. Melanie my 18 month old lays down right after lunch about 12 and sleeps depending on the day until 1:30 or 3. Tristein is in a big boy twin bed and has been since he was about 18 months and Melanie is still in her crib. When they do nap I do my cleaning vacuuming mopping etc. She has all her blankets that she can't sleep without and her stuff toys although we limit those in her bed and she has a full size pillow because she has Sanderfer's syndrome and has to be propped up. She has to have her bottle we haven't been able to talk her out of it yet all my other children were done with their bottles way before this age.
We don't think autistic they haven't define all her issues we know for use anything touching her face is out!!! We know most textures are out.
We live in south Central IL. During this cold time of the year we generally try and think of indoor ways of use up energy chasing bubbles in the house or playing with the large ball and our favorite thing McDonald's play place and an order of apples and milk. Both little ones are picky eaters so we go on what they will eat and its never the same thing any given time. We start bedtime right after dinner they get their baths and then lotion and pj's. We feed their fish and they each get to pick a book and curl up in my chair and we read both books. At 7:45 we put dolly's and critters to bed so we can go to bed and then by 8 we have our sippy's and bottles and spend the next two hours with Tristein going and putting him back to bed. Every excuse in the book potty, need another drink, mommy has to lay me down, kisses from mommy, daddy needs to lay me down and kisses, I want to sleep with my neva or my brothers (neva is his 14 year old sister and his brothers are 14 and 10). By about 10:30 and lots of tears later he is asleep and by then Melanie has started her I'm going to be up every hour etc. This is one tired momma out of ideas.
We don't think autistic they haven't define all her issues we know for use anything touching her face is out!!! We know most textures are out.
We live in south Central IL. During this cold time of the year we generally try and think of indoor ways of use up energy chasing bubbles in the house or playing with the large ball and our favorite thing McDonald's play place and an order of apples and milk. Both little ones are picky eaters so we go on what they will eat and its never the same thing any given time. We start bedtime right after dinner they get their baths and then lotion and pj's. We feed their fish and they each get to pick a book and curl up in my chair and we read both books. At 7:45 we put dolly's and critters to bed so we can go to bed and then by 8 we have our sippy's and bottles and spend the next two hours with Tristein going and putting him back to bed. Every excuse in the book potty, need another drink, mommy has to lay me down, kisses from mommy, daddy needs to lay me down and kisses, I want to sleep with my neva or my brothers (neva is his 14 year old sister and his brothers are 14 and 10). By about 10:30 and lots of tears later he is asleep and by then Melanie has started her I'm going to be up every hour etc. This is one tired momma out of ideas.
I'm not sure how sensory issues play into the picture, but I can offer a few tips I learned back when mine were a little younger than yours and having sleep problems.
I read that children and adults wake up several times per night and don't remember, because they put themselves back to sleep so quickly. But sometimes babies and kids don't know how to put themselves to sleep, so these nighttime awakenings become big ordeals. For sleep training, we used the Sleep Lady Shuffle method by Kim West, described in her book <I>Good Night, Sleep Tight</I>. That one worked for my kids, so that's where most of my advice came from. The key is to get them to fall asleep on their own initially, so they can fall asleep on their own throughout the night too.
It sounds like you have the bedtime routine down. It sounds like you've addressed daytime energy burning too. I would try to address the sleep crutches next. (These are things that kids depend on to get them to sleep initially, and therefore what they depend on to get back to sleep during the night.) Blankets and stuffed animals are good crutches (as long as they're not suffocating), because they can reuse them all night. A pacifier is not so great, because it can fall out of the crib or even get lost in the crib. A bottle is not good at all, because it has to be refilled by Mom or Dad, plus falling to sleep with a bottle causes tooth decay. Getting hugs and kisses, or a lullaby, or a story to get to sleep obviously isn't something you want to repeat all night either. It's a good bedtime routine, but by the time the baby/kid is drowsy, they should be in their crib/bed and making the rest of the transition on their own.
Be firm! They will keep protesting if it works. If you don't give in, eventually they will stop asking for drinks, hugs, kisses, older brothers and sisters.
I read that children and adults wake up several times per night and don't remember, because they put themselves back to sleep so quickly. But sometimes babies and kids don't know how to put themselves to sleep, so these nighttime awakenings become big ordeals. For sleep training, we used the Sleep Lady Shuffle method by Kim West, described in her book <I>Good Night, Sleep Tight</I>. That one worked for my kids, so that's where most of my advice came from. The key is to get them to fall asleep on their own initially, so they can fall asleep on their own throughout the night too.
It sounds like you have the bedtime routine down. It sounds like you've addressed daytime energy burning too. I would try to address the sleep crutches next. (These are things that kids depend on to get them to sleep initially, and therefore what they depend on to get back to sleep during the night.) Blankets and stuffed animals are good crutches (as long as they're not suffocating), because they can reuse them all night. A pacifier is not so great, because it can fall out of the crib or even get lost in the crib. A bottle is not good at all, because it has to be refilled by Mom or Dad, plus falling to sleep with a bottle causes tooth decay. Getting hugs and kisses, or a lullaby, or a story to get to sleep obviously isn't something you want to repeat all night either. It's a good bedtime routine, but by the time the baby/kid is drowsy, they should be in their crib/bed and making the rest of the transition on their own.
Be firm! They will keep protesting if it works. If you don't give in, eventually they will stop asking for drinks, hugs, kisses, older brothers and sisters.
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I think AK hit most of the points. Additionally I would limit the number of item (stuffed animals and such) just to reduce the stimulation. A lot of people recommend that most toys and things are not visible at bedtime.
I know its tough. But its hard to find anyone who would advise a bottle. There is just a plethora of issues associated with that.
I am a big fan of Books on tapes (now it would be cd's) Typically you can find very inexpensive ones of these at a used book store. Treat it as a privilege and turn if off if the are not being good staying in bed.
Maybe encourage a little more strenuous activity directly after dinner. If dinner is not to close to bed time.
Most of it really is calm consistent repetition. It takes time an patience but is a long term fix. We also shut down all the household lights even if we stay up and watch TV or something.
I would wager you can find sleepy foods that they will tolerate. I will try and find some links.
I know its tough. But its hard to find anyone who would advise a bottle. There is just a plethora of issues associated with that.
I am a big fan of Books on tapes (now it would be cd's) Typically you can find very inexpensive ones of these at a used book store. Treat it as a privilege and turn if off if the are not being good staying in bed.
Maybe encourage a little more strenuous activity directly after dinner. If dinner is not to close to bed time.
Most of it really is calm consistent repetition. It takes time an patience but is a long term fix. We also shut down all the household lights even if we stay up and watch TV or something.
I would wager you can find sleepy foods that they will tolerate. I will try and find some links.