I don't know much about RSD......but I do know that the ONLY time I do not have back pain is when I am laying down...........so I know how important it can be.

Get ya some ear plugs and then let hubby get up with him if he is crying....and comfort him in his toddler bed until he goes back to sleep....as long as you keep putting him in your bed....he will expect that .....time to break the cycle....for both of your sakes:):)

LOL- SO true. I think it is OUR fault this happened. We both want sleep so we give in. But the kid also has amazing lungs and great fortitude. Last night it was 40 minutes before I gave in. I guess we just hope and pray that he gives in 1st!

Is it the new bed or does he go to sleep in it and wake up in the middle of the night and want to come to bed with you? Since you said you can't get him to sleep in his toddler bed I would assume that it is the new bed. It was sooooo many years ago that I dealt with this but we made a celebration out of switching to a "Big Bed". I let the kids pick out their favorite character sheets and comforter. Does your son have a favorite Disney character? Every night after the bedtime routine (snack, bath, tooth brushing), we'd snuggle in the Big Bed and read a story (yes, it was usually the same character, my daughter was really into Beauty and the Beast). Just a suggestion. If he wakes during the night, go to him in HIS room and comfort him there. Tell him it's quiet time now and Thomas the Train or Elmo (whoever his favs are) are sleeping but are there to keep him company. Rub his back or sit with him until he falls back to sleep. You may have to do this a few times until he gets the message that he won't be coming to your room/bed anymore. Does he do this during the week too?
You are so right about getting a good nights rest for yourself and how it affects your pain levels during the day. A good night's rest makes all the difference in the world on your physical, mental and emotional well-being! I hope this was/is helpful in some way. Best of luck to you! BTW, my husband NEVER got up with the kids- claimed he never heard them-HA!
xoxoLyn

A good point...chronic pain, by definition and as a diagnostic criteria is associated with sleep disturbance for most (but not all) people with the condition. Traditional sleep medications are problematic in that they are known to produce abnormal (less restorative) sleep patterns. Therefore, the first line if a medication is going to be used, should be an atypical sleep aide...tricyclics (like elavil and flexeril), antihistamines (like benadryl), and certain antidepressants in the class of SSRI (but multimodal) such as Desyrel are reasonable options to consider.

Yes, it's a toddler bed and yep, it's the going TO bed that is the problem. He also lost all his favorite things b/c he turned 2, such as his bedtime bottle. His pediatrician said we just need to let him yell it out and we hadn't been exhausted, we would've let him. So tonight we need to be stronger. And then there's always Supernanny's solution, which is next on our list. He's such a great kid that it's difficult to hear him so upset. And yep- he has all his favorites from Elmo to Elmo. (He's a one-monster boy.) It's also difficult that he is an only child, has 2 very busy parents, and we live 5 hours from our nearest relative or friend. He joins a playgroup next week, and I think that will help. Then again, I leave for NY and Scotland next week, so THAT won't help. It might be better if we waited till I got back, but that is 3 weeks away. And my body needs sleep NOW. I don't like coffee or tea and rarely drink colas, but this morning I woke up and drank a full can of Coke! Meanwhile my foot has been okay but not great and I REALLY need it to be in perfect condition for my trip. So, I may resort to some benadryl and get a few hours sleep in BEFORE he goes to bed. Meanwhile, I'm going to watch my pain levels and keep everything perfectly on track. It's amazing how lack of sleep just throws off everything!

Oh you poor thing, I can't imagine having kids with the pain I have now, thank god Im a gramma now to a very active 2 year old, so he gets to go home.

When my kids were little, we gave in, just so we could get our sleep, sorry I can't help, but just know I feel for you

Hugs sandi

I am years away from the time when this was an issue, as my son turns 25 today! Happy B'Day Son! Now, back to your issue. You need your sleep to recharge your batteries for the week ahead. You need to deal with your son's new bed issues and establish the aforementioned rituals of bedtime preparation. Create a routine, bath, jammies, tummy rubs, a little book or prayers, a nightlight if needed, and then it is bed time. It may take a few nights of this, but the child will adjust to the new routine when the parents stay firm in their resolve to continue to return him to his bed every time he gets up. Perhaps a reward system (stickers on the calendar, with corresponding reward for positive behavior) will reinforce the new routine.

Having your son in the bed is comforting for him, but is disruptful to your much-needed sleep. Without adequate sleep, my pain levels are higher because I am awake more hours than i want to be.

Good luck with this new routine. He will adjust, I promise. A talk with the pediatrician may be helpful to design an appropriate bedtime routine for you all.

Peace and rest!
Pinky

Thanks. We just talked to his pediatrician on his 2 year appt and she is the one who said put the gate up and let him scream. I'm more of the Supernanny Bedtime Ritual which is what we do (story, quiet time, etc.) but then we're supposed to put him back in bed every time he gets out. (That will be new.) Then sit on the floor nearby w/o talking at all. Put him back in the bed but absolutely no talking. Then take your place nearby on the floor. Every few minutes move back a bit, closer to the door, then move out to the hallway, etc. It was on almost every SuperNanny episode, and I've heard it works well. Hard on the moms and dads, but it works.

Well, we'll see soon, LOL. Luckily my hubby is taking over today as yes, I NEED my sleep. I have a busy week, starting with my pain doc on Monday, and then lots of errands all week. Then off to NY Friday for 4 nights, then off to Scotland. I'm also a bit stressed b/c last year while in the UK the Icelandic volcano exploded and all travel in the UK was suspended for a week. And in London we were hearing that it would be months before we'd get home! So I AM a bit nervous about that.

The damn volcano is at it again and while it hasn't disrupted much lately, my hubby says it will definitely go off full blast as soon as I get there, Ha Ha. It's an inside joke since I have quite a history of natural disasters hitting while I'm visiting. Hurricane in Nassau, another in Cabo, Tropical Storm in Aruba, Blackout in NYC of 2004, Volcano eruption while in London AND the London bombings during one of my trips. So yes, it was funny for him to write it but now I'm starting to think I'm a bad omen. And THAT is keeping me from sleeping, too!

But I digress. Hubby is now making me dinner b/c he knows I haven't eaten since Thursday night. He's watching my baby boy while I take a little break. It's not common for me to do that so he knows I need it. And tonight he'll deal with J, and tomorrow I'll do the nap. Meanwhile, I put together a new table for J and hurt my already injured back and knee even further. So I'm writing this from bed and it seems SO odd to be in bed this early! I have SO much to do! But for once, hubby is right. I need to rest. Sleep may or may not come, but rest is important. :)

I never allowed any of my kids in my bed, and when I did it was considered a treat. Having a child in your bed when having chronic pain could be difficult, so tell him to stay in his room, he might cry for an hour or so, but then he'll get tired and go to bed. Nip it in the butt now, if not you will have a hard time when he gets older.

I hope that you can sleep tonight.
Hugs,

I really like Pinkys advice. I know a good night sleep makes me a much happier person and usually less pain the next day. Good luck to you!!

Our eldest was a bad sleeper for more than a year...we tried the tough love approach...guess what she did? Threw up every time we tried....game over.

Yeah, ours did one better and took off his pjs and peed on the floor. He LOVES to be naked and never gets the chance so why not do something naughty when mom and dad aren't looking? ;)

Tonight we're going to try an earlier bedtime, pjs he can't take off, and hopefully no vomiting. This is getting ridiculous!

My situation is different but in the end it's the same. I am single and have two dogs who always need to get up at 4-5am to potty and then want to eat. So I have to get up, take them out, feed them and try to fall asleep for two more hours. It's very interruptive to my sleep and I wake up most days feeling unrested, but I can't avoid it. I've tried ignoring them and they start with licking my face then whining then barking. It's all so disruptive I have to get up just to appease them and get back to bed as soon as possible. Weekends are the only time I can 'catch up'

Obviously pain and sleep are intertwined - too much pain makes it hard to sleep, and too little sleep increases pain.

I'm pretty anal about my sleep patterns (often refusing to take a nap with my b/f on his days off in order to maintain it) because I am also prone to severe headaches, and disturbances in my sleep cycle (along with increases in caffeine intake) can trigger an episode.