For the last couple of weeks we have had some stress in the house due to a recent family loss. This has caused both of my children to react in very different ways. My three year old asks a lot of questions and is concerned when we are sad. My six year old has been asking his own questions - very pragmatic ones - and has been having difficulty regulating. I first noticed a shift in his auditory processing. Directions were not being followed. I was having to shorten directions from 3 steps to 1 step. The pinnacle of the stress was the decrease in proprioceptive regulation. He was flapping more, wiggling, and just not aware of his place in space. Whenever this happens I know that sleep issues are around the corner. Sure enough, the last 4 nights my son has woken up multiple times throughout the night, has had difficulty falling asleep, or is ready to start his day at 3 am. Finally, I put him on the floor in his sleeping bag with three quilts on top of him hoping that the input he received from the hard floor and the weight of the blankets would help his system regulate. I am pleased to announce that for the first time in two weeks, my son slept through the night and woke up at a decent hour.
I'm sure my local Starbucks' revenue will take a dip, but at least now we are on the road to feeling functional!
HI Meg-
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog...I used to teach at Kinnaman with John! Anyway, we have a daughter with SPD. She has gone to OT, we have a swing installed in our house, sensory home diet, etc. We have seen a lot of growth and improvement, but we are still really struggling with sleep. She uses a weighted blanket, has a noise machine, sucks her thumb, but is still up for a couple hours each night at times. We are actually having a sleep study done this week.
In December we put her on meds to help her sleep. I didn't want to, but was at the end of my rope and so sleep deprived. What has helped you the most with sleep? I feel like ever since she has been born, sleep was an issue. She was up every hour nursing until 7 months! At least it's not that bad anymore. Anyway...wanted to say hi and I love the blog!
Abby-
ReplyDeleteIf you are on facebook, you should see my page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sensory-Support/110287962382380. You can also go to our website (which is under construction) www.sensorysupport.org. I started an organization called Sensory Support. We are a group of parents whose children all struggle with sensory issues. If you are interested in attending our next support meeting, please let me know.
Sleep is the ever elusive goal in our house. My son responds very well to sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag with 3-4 blankets on top of him. He has ways to regulate his proprioceptive disorder during the day, but can't regulate while sleeping. The input from the hard floor, the tightness of the sleeping bag and the weight of the blankets all contribute to his regulation at night. Also, I am a HUGE fan of Melatonin. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's sell 2.5 mg chewable tablets that are peppermint flavored.
Good luck and keep me posted!
Meg