Bedtime

Personally, I love sleep. I think maybe there is something wrong with me because of how I can sleep just about all of the time. I could sleep all night (not that I do that every night, due to interruptions from the kids or my stupid IBS causing me issues) and then sleep most of the day. Happily. Sure, once I've finally sated my sleep lust (usually somewhere over the 12 hour marker--achieved via multiple sleep sessions) I feel like a wasteful loser that has accomplished nothing. Still, I love me some sleep.

My kids, on the other hand, do not have my affinity for slumber. I didn't as a kid either, but now as an adult I see the error of my ways. How can you not love sleep?!

However, with their autism-related sleep issues they've had extreme insomnia at times. Even with the aid of sleeping medications. We've tried ambien, melatonin, espom salt cream, benadryl (under a doctor's advice!), clonidine, klonipin, diazepam, vistaril, and some others I can't remember the names of. We are currently using clonidine and hydroxyzine (a prescription antihistamine). It seems to work most of the time, though it still can take 2-3 hours for them to fall asleep. This is much better than taking 6-8 hours or more to fall asleep (if at all). There have been several nights when they never fell asleep.

They just don't want to go to sleep. They actively fight it. Sometimes if they sense that a medicine is making them drowsy they will use all of their will power to fight it off. Even if that means hitting themselves or doing bed acrobatics.

I sorely wish that I could lend them some of my sleepiness. Especially right now. I have a feeling it's going to be a long, long night.