sleep deprivation and stimming behaviors?

[Anonymous]

My son was evaluated for ASD about a year ago, was not diagnosed at the time, but his report noted a couple of red flags, i.e. strong interest in cars and self-directed play.) Now DS is 3 years, 4 months, and for the past month or so, demonstrating behaviors that I find a little alarming because I don't know what to make of them. He has been leaving his room coming into our bed in the middle of the night. Once in our bed, he moves and flails about, sometimes even making what I can best describe as facial tics -- smiling, eyes widening, etc before his face will return to normal. The body movements and "facial tics" will occur over and over, as if he is in some possessed state. It's like he's in his own world and can't help himself. I have to call his name a few times before he "snaps out of it." He will respond to me as if he didn't know what he was doing a few seconds before. This will go on for up to 2 hours before he finally settles down and go back to sleep.

During the day he behaves a bit similarly - will jump around on the couch or his bed, the same cycle of movement repeatedly for 30 minutes to an hour, as if he has pent-up energy that needs to get out. These behaviors have been happening for the past month or so. We've been trying really hard to get him out and active and on a consistent schedule so that he goes to bed every night at the same time. Nothing's helping, no one is getting good sleep at night, and I'm baffled by what's happening at night.

Would these be considered stimming behaviors? Should we have DS reevaluated for ASD?

[Anonymous]

There's nothing here that is suggestive of stimming behavior. It sounds like he's in a state between consciousness and sleep and is doing some pre-sleep autonomic behaviors. If you are concerned, ask for a sleep study. But kids move around a lot in their sleep and while falling asleep and really so do a lot of adults.

The best advice I can give you as a mom of both SN and NT kids is -- he should be sleeping in his own bed. He's disturbing you. His behavior during the day is not really all that uncommon and I wouldn't call it special needs. Work on sleep training him. Which I would say means taking him back to his bedroom when he gets in bed with you, perhaps doing a sticker chart, sitting down with him during the day and letting him know that he's a big boy and he's expected to stay in his own bed and that if he does it for a whole week, he can have "Toy" that he really wants. This is an issue that you have to work on. It happens a lot with kids his age.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with the PP. For us, it happened with DS (no ASD but other SNs) when he was about 2.5 and lasted for @3 months. Consulted all our specialists including the dev ped. The advice we got was that sleep issues are really challenging and we should continue to follow excellent sleep hygiene (including him sleeping in his own bed). Just as I was about to schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist and do the study, the behaviors stopped. It was stunning. That was 8 years ago and it's still vivid in my mind.

As an aside, I'm now entering menopause and having some similar behaviors. I act out in my sleep and I have no memory of it. This includes talking to my DH or flailing around or having a flight/fight response (like jumping out of bed and trying to smash/hit whatever is trying to get me). Sometimes I can remember the dream I'm having (it's very lifelike) most times I can't.

[Anonymous]

Get him checked out for a possible seizure disorder. The most common childhood epilepsy happens usually at night (and is benign mostly). Google rolandic epilepsy to see if anything rings a bell.