Comments on: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:11:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Why We Do What We Do http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-561824 Why We Do What We Do Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:35:06 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-561824 [...] While Jim worked on end-of-semester business in his office, Charlie and I did the usual things we do on a Tuesday afternoon, although it felt different as he’d only had a half-day at school. He snacked and lounged on his Charlie chair (now sagging permanently on the left side) and practiced cello. There was a fast-moving bout of what I’ll call holiday anxiety and our usual walk, though going up and down the familiar hill proved less soothing than usual. Charlie had some sushi for dinner and I packed and Jim came home and I didn’t give Charlie his usual melatonin. [...] [...] While Jim worked on end-of-semester business in his office, Charlie and I did the usual things we do on a Tuesday afternoon, although it felt different as he’d only had a half-day at school. He snacked and lounged on his Charlie chair (now sagging permanently on the left side) and practiced cello. There was a fast-moving bout of what I’ll call holiday anxiety and our usual walk, though going up and down the familiar hill proved less soothing than usual. Charlie had some sushi for dinner and I packed and Jim came home and I didn’t give Charlie his usual melatonin. [...]

]]> By: Pedro Vera http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-562451 Pedro Vera Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:48:52 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-562451 Melatonin really helped PJ get into a healthy sleeping cycle. Before, his circadian rhythm was shot and every night he was going to sleep one or more hours later than the previous. Yes, he would make a full clock rotation over a few weeks, and it drove us crazy. Since he started the melatonin his sleeping cycle has been rock solid. It worked so well that I tried it for myself, but for some reason I don't really react to it. At least in our case it is easier to gauge progress. Before he was going to bed 1-2 hrs later every day, and sleeping 12-15 hours in one shot. Ever since he started the melatonin he gets it at 8 PM and is asleep by 10 PM, then sleeps until at least 7:30 AM. Melatonin really helped PJ get into a healthy sleeping cycle. Before, his circadian rhythm was shot and every night he was going to sleep one or more hours later than the previous.

Yes, he would make a full clock rotation over a few weeks, and it drove us crazy.

Since he started the melatonin his sleeping cycle has been rock solid. It worked so well that I tried it for myself, but for some reason I don’t really react to it.

At least in our case it is easier to gauge progress. Before he was going to bed 1-2 hrs later every day, and sleeping 12-15 hours in one shot. Ever since he started the melatonin he gets it at 8 PM and is asleep by 10 PM, then sleeps until at least 7:30 AM.

]]> By: AWAKE/SLEEP http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-560729 AWAKE/SLEEP Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:02:29 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-560729 [...] up in time to go to school. For the past year and several months, we’ve been giving Charlie melatonin, and this has helped him to the sleep regularly. We also make sure that he has good, physical [...] [...] up in time to go to school. For the past year and several months, we’ve been giving Charlie melatonin, and this has helped him to the sleep regularly. We also make sure that he has good, physical [...]

]]> By: Bonnie Sayers http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-552794 Bonnie Sayers Wed, 07 May 2008 02:47:29 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-552794 I never heard about the connection of puberty and melatonin. My HFA son is 13 and has been taking a chewable melatonin for many years now. Every night it is at 8 pm and he is asleep by 9:30 - 11:00 pm. He got a new Nintendo game (zoo tycoon) so he is going later. Sometimes he says he does not want to take one and go to sleep on his own and then at 10PM he is taking it, just in case. I see OCD in him and think this is part of that like he then gets scared to not take it. Like he drinks a lot of water before going into bed so that he will not be dehydrated. I told him he needs to space out his water drinking and be consistent througout the day. I never heard about the connection of puberty and melatonin. My HFA son is 13 and has been taking a chewable melatonin for many years now. Every night it is at 8 pm and he is asleep by 9:30 – 11:00 pm. He got a new Nintendo game (zoo tycoon) so he is going later.

Sometimes he says he does not want to take one and go to sleep on his own and then at 10PM he is taking it, just in case. I see OCD in him and think this is part of that like he then gets scared to not take it.

Like he drinks a lot of water before going into bed so that he will not be dehydrated. I told him he needs to space out his water drinking and be consistent througout the day.

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-552650 Kristina Chew, PhD Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:30:03 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-552650 @paulhilfromstika, glad you pointed all that out----many parents have told me that melatonin has not helped their child. we have used it on the recommendation of our pediatric neurologist. sometimes, one is happy to try any and everything! best wishes. @paulhilfromstika,

glad you pointed all that out—-many parents have told me that melatonin has not helped their child. we have used it on the recommendation of our pediatric neurologist. sometimes, one is happy to try any and everything! best wishes.

]]> By: paulhillfromsitka http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-554125 paulhillfromsitka Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:40:06 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-554125 Hmmm. Ive been reading the excitment over melatonin and is it just me or does this sound like yet another anicdotal story? ANY STUDY whether done by one parent or by a high sounding "Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center" that is not a placebo controlled, double-blind study is INEVITABLY going to give misleading results. IT IS INEVITABLE! Whos to say that you wouldnt have received the EXACT same results by adding some other routine to bedtime. ANY routine! Or replace the melatonin with a placebo? Or perhaps the parents in the study, after giving the melatonin, were so focused looking for a change in sleep pattern night after night that as soon as their child had a normal good night sleep; "AHA! must have been that melatonin we have been giving him for weeks! PROOF! "......no, no, no Come on parents! We cant go jumping on every treatment/therapy for our kids that we hear about. We need to know how to tell the difference between science and pseudo-science. That being said... The article DID say ONE USEFUL THING..... "Melatonin SEEMS safe for kids". And after only getting an hour or two of sleep last night I am looking for something, ANYTHING! :) -paulhillfromsitka- Hmmm. Ive been reading the excitment over melatonin and is it just me or does this sound like yet another anicdotal story?

ANY STUDY whether done by one parent or by a high sounding “Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center” that is not a placebo controlled, double-blind study is INEVITABLY going to give misleading results. IT IS INEVITABLE!

Whos to say that you wouldnt have received the EXACT same results by adding some other routine to bedtime. ANY routine! Or replace the melatonin with a placebo?

Or perhaps the parents in the study, after giving the melatonin, were so focused looking for a change in sleep pattern night after night that as soon as their child had a normal good night sleep; “AHA! must have been that melatonin we have been giving him for weeks! PROOF! “……no, no, no

Come on parents! We cant go jumping on every treatment/therapy for our kids that we hear about. We need to know how to tell the difference between science and pseudo-science.

That being said… The article DID say ONE USEFUL THING….. “Melatonin SEEMS safe for kids”. And after only getting an hour or two of sleep last night I am looking for something, ANYTHING! :)

-paulhillfromsitka-

]]> By: Time to Sleep (Because the TV Says So) http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-550942 Time to Sleep (Because the TV Says So) Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:50:54 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-550942 [...] one thing that determines when I sleep: When Charlie goes to bed. (So, in his pre-melatonin days, when he fell asleep at midnight at the earliest, “bedtime” for me took on all the [...] [...] one thing that determines when I sleep: When Charlie goes to bed. (So, in his pre-melatonin days, when he fell asleep at midnight at the earliest, “bedtime” for me took on all the [...]

]]> By: Look Both Ways First http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-547062 Look Both Ways First Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:43:01 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-547062 [...] tonight; and the fact that all I had to do while standing in line at the store with two bottles of melatonin, sushi and watermelon for Charlie, and my eco-friendly “carry your own bag” shopping [...] [...] tonight; and the fact that all I had to do while standing in line at the store with two bottles of melatonin, sushi and watermelon for Charlie, and my eco-friendly “carry your own bag” shopping [...]

]]> By: Brief Snapshot - The beginning « ASDinfo http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-552251 Brief Snapshot - The beginning « ASDinfo Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:32:14 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-552251 [...] part of our sleep routine, though we have talked to other parents that swear by it, and it does get some mention in some ASD blogs that I [...] [...] part of our sleep routine, though we have talked to other parents that swear by it, and it does get some mention in some ASD blogs that I [...]

]]> By: This and Last’s Weeks Top Posts http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-551826 This and Last’s Weeks Top Posts Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:02:16 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep/#comment-551826 [...] How to Get a Good Night’s SleepResearchers at the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center have found that melatonin “shows promise” in helping some autistic children fall asleep. [...] [...] How to Get a Good Night’s SleepResearchers at the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center have found that melatonin “shows promise” in helping some autistic children fall asleep. [...]

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