The one where O goes to sleep

When we saw CAMHS last week and O got his autism diagnosis ( at last) he was prescribed melatonin to help him sleep at night.
Bedtime with O has always been difficult. Getting him to bed in the first place was a nightmare for as long as I can remember. Then he would either have a raging screaming tantrum in bed for hours or he just wouldn’t settle down. He would mess about and fiddle and talk.
It was often midnight before he was properly asleep.
I’ve been having to go to bed with him every night and I’ve been stuck there so I’ve had no time to myself in the evenings and we’ve both been very tired in the Mornings because tantruming till midnight is hard work.
The melatonin is – the psychiatrist told me- a hormone , it’s not addictive and it’s not dangerous.
O is able to take one or two 2 mg tablets a night , about an hour before I want him to sleep. So far I’ve only given him one a night because I wasn’t sure how they would affect him.
He takes it at 8. And he gets tired. Not really drowsy , more relaxed.
He actually reminds me at 8 that’s it’s time for the tablet.
By 9 he is asking to go to bed.
I’ve still been laying with him but this is his 5 th night on melatonin and so far he’s been asleep after 15 minutes each night. He sleeps like a log. Last night I actually got back up and ate a pudding ( bread and butter pudding , with custard) had a cup of tea , watched a little telly and read a chapter of my book. I went to bed a whole hour after O and I was relaxed when I got in bed.
O had been much less grumpy as he’s getting much more sleep.
This week I’m going to try leaving him to go to sleep on his own.
I will sit with him for 5 minutes and then leave.
I’m not that confident about it to be honest but now that he falls asleep so much more easily it’s time to give it a try.
He is almost 9 after all.

The melatonin has done wonders. I’ve got my bit of time before bed back , along with a bit of sanity and O is getting a good nights sleep every night.
It’s a win win situation 😴😴😴