Sleeping Challenges

Even as parents of typical children there are always challenges for the sleeping process...although for most it is a matter of establishing a routine, Sticking to it for a short time and VOILA...it's done..
recently there have been many posts on the Autism boards about how different our kids and how much more our kids AND parents suffer from sleep deprivation...

For anyone in the Autism community it is pretty common knowledge that sleep and our kids just do not "make a pair"...many go through the day like a BUZZ saw and still through 9,10, onwards to 2 or 3 in the morning either don't sleep or sleep in spurts by the time they finally crash they may only then sleep for 3 to 5 hours before getting up and doing it again....
Several other parent have reported that their children will be relatively manageable through out the day then when it comes time to sleep..it's like someone gave then a shot of espresso or adrenaline . There are a few who don't have too many problems with sleep but for the most part these are the RARE AND LUCKY ones....

I would be considered one of the RARE oneS as Dakota has pretty much slept for me BUT  NOT BECAUSE I am lucky. It was battle I aquiessed to at the very beginning.....I knew that if I was in this for the long haul sleep was going to become one requirement for all involved.

I myself have always been a great sleeper and perhaps that was luck(as I know many who suffer from all kinds of slept deprivation). From a very early age my mother gave me one gift ...to appreciate and covet sleep! She constantly reminded me that sleep was the one part of our day that you can escape from the rigors of life and have peace...That sleep was a way for the body to renew and heal itself .  That sleep was a gift and to enjoy it and embrace it....As a kid and young adult I tested those boundaries and even was one who could lay down for a couple of hours and get up and go full blast for another day... Birthing Dakota and going through the first couple of weeks with him in the hospital , then coming home to not only a new baby in the house but one who had many more needs  than the typical baby ..things changed and drastically...

First rule of thumb I sleep when he sleeps...because I never knew when I was going to have to be alert and present to deal with anything for a seizure to a trip to the hospital...
Secondly once he is asleep short of an atomic bomb NEVER and I mean NEVER WAKE HIM UP!(in fact right now it is 1030 am and he is sleeping quietly right next to me ;-).  )
I was lucky that we had a cohesive unit in Our house at the early part of this journey that the times I has to wake him up were RARE...and I believe that definitely contributed to his great sleeping patterns..with this rule came accomodations for instance the phone was take off the hook and everything went to voicemail till he woke , the door bell was disconnected, I made no appointments early in the morning or around his typical nap time(tricky but do- able)...I used either soft music in the room or a small fan/ heater for white noise(fan in summer...low heat in winter EVERYTIME) I came to understand that he likes having socks on his feet but no covers, that he flipped from the head to the foot of the bed even after he got out of the crib so just a flat sheet ...Just the little thing you pick up on ...I