Aspergers and sleep paralysis

[melgemastra]

I have known my 10 year old daughter has Aspergers Syndrome for five years and as she gets older it gets harder, but im also noticing other issues. Last week I witnessed her having what I though was a nightmare only her eyes were open and she was clearly distressed, I didnt disturb her but stayed with her until I was sure the episode had finnished, She has all her life had a history of very poor sleep, often only snatching two or three hours of very deep sleep each night, but wetting the bed each time. she has never until today revealed that she has these really bad dreams where she can see people in her room,They dont hurt her but they hold her down and put things in her hands she is scared of and these things are heavy, but she cannot remember what these things are, and the whole time she is wide awake as I witnessed . but unable to move or speak, also when these episodes happen she is dripping wet with sweat so that it runs off her face and body. When I have questioned her further about how long they have been going on she claims "for ever".
She also has nights where she sleep walks but can never remember these episodes.
Can anyone please shed some light on this, I dont mind being sleep deprived if my daughter is ok but clearly while she sleeps she is frightened and I dont like the idea of that,

[Sally44]

I would talk to your GP about these sleep problems.  I have heard of similar types of things, but actually that was in someone who wasn't autistic.  It might be that she needs to go to some kind of sleep clinic where they can monitor her sleep behaviour and brain wave patterns at the same time.  It is possible to be between being asleep and awake so that you can have a nightmare, but be unable to move your body to respond to your experience.  You and your daughter can try to work on any things causing her anxiety and stress in her day to day life.  But, again, as you mention sleep walking etc, I think this is something to talk to your GP about to see what they can advise.

[melgemastra]

Thanks for your advice, unfortunatly our G.P was less than helpful, He used the name sleep paralysis for what she was experiencing but couldnt offer her any answers how to prevent it or help during an episode.
I did scout around the internet to see if it could yeild some answers and found some vague links to sleep disorders and ASD but no clues how to deal with them.
I do still have access to my daughters psychiatrist and obviously other professionals, but I was just very concious that i get lots of facts, figures and offers of medicating her but no real practical solutions of helping, I would much rather be able to understand the why`s and wherefor`s and be proactive in helping her than stick a pill down her throat and hope it all goes away

[Sally44]

Have you tried googling sleep clinics to see what comes up?  It might be helpful if you can just talk to someone at one of these clinics to see if your daughter could be assessed there, how you would get a referal and what type of treatments they offer.  I understand how you feel about the medication side of things, I have heard of other parents with children on the spectrum who have been given some kind of hormone that is responsible for causing sleep.  It just sounded from your post that it is not just the night frights that she has, but that she hasn't slept for many hours a night for along time, if not all her life.
If a sleep clinic is out of the question then you are looking at a psychologist or psychiatrist to give you some clues.
But reducing any stress and anxiety she has might have a knock on effect, as well as bedtime routine.  Apart from that you would have to talk with her about it and if she is unable to move at the time it is happening then discuss things she can try to think about or focus on if she is capable of doing that whilst being between asleep and awake.
You could also try contacting the National Autistic Society in your country and asking them if they have any advice as to what you could try or where you could get advice from.  You might need to go back to your GP, or ask to see another one, and ask for a referal.  Sometimes standing your ground and going back actually indicates to them the level of distress and disruption this is causing your daughter and you.  If you take his answer and go away and never return, he might assume it wasn't such a big deal in the first place.  It is his job to at least assist you in finding something that helps.  I know it's hard to do, because i've had to do it too, but your GP gets paid alot of money for doing his job, so don't feel bad about pushing him for some answers.
If it does turn out that medication is the only option then only you and your daughter can decide if that is worth pursuing.  
As you also seem to be indicating that your daughter is on a certain amount of medication and you are not happy with that, then again I would raise this issue with the NAS, especially if the medication is being given to allow her to remain in a mainstream school.  If that is the case, then it might be better if your daughter were in a school environment where she is able to cope and learn and where she doesn't have to be medicated to such a level because the staff and environment will be able to deal with any behaviours she has.