Sleep Problems - Childhood Support Group
Childhood","This community is dedicated to parents of children who experience insomnia. Insomnia is inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. Children with insomnia exhibit of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or...
I have a 6 yr old who has had trouble falling asleep since she was 2. We have actually had weeks where she will go on less than 2 hrs of sleep for the whole week. It has gotten somewhat better over time but I am desperate for answers as this is affecting her growth. She has NO problem staying asleep in fact once asleep she will sleep so deeply that she has no memory of being woken up and taken to use the bathroom. She also sleeps so deeply that she will have accidents if we do not get her up 2x a night. Her problem is actually falling asleep. She will be so tired and almost on the brink of crying at midnight wanting to fall asleep and not being able to. I will say that the next day she seems to be in a great mood even after only getting 4-6 hrs of sleep on some nights. Excellent grades (top of the class) but obviously delayed growth (height wise).
What we've tried: no tv 3 hrs prior to bed time, read short bed time stories, baths with lavendar, nothing to eat or drink after 6pm. brushing her hair (this relaxes her). Me or her father laying with her. Night lights, no night lights, letting her sleep with us, making her sleep in her own bed. These are things that we have tried over the past 4 years, obviously giving it time to work before moving on to something else.
Medications: Melatonin 1mg. Works well and currently used but makes her crabby/mean the next day if used for more than a week at a time. She appears to not be able to sleep off the whole tiredness brought on by the melatonin. We also tried Clonidine (sp?) which worked wonders and had no ill side effects however it is not recommended for more than 4 months of use.
Neurologist #1: let her fall asleep when she wants to and just go into school late, she will out grow it eventually.
Neurologist #2: (today) thinks possible nocturnal seizures, wants to do an mri with contrast and eeg.
I am lost. we do have a family history of epilepsy and nocturnal seizures but neither fits the description of her problems, I have slept next to her enough times to know there is no physical signs of seizures at night. I do not want to do a contrast mri because of the risks involved if it isn't necessary but I am at a loss.
Anyone have any ideas?
What we've tried: no tv 3 hrs prior to bed time, read short bed time stories, baths with lavendar, nothing to eat or drink after 6pm. brushing her hair (this relaxes her). Me or her father laying with her. Night lights, no night lights, letting her sleep with us, making her sleep in her own bed. These are things that we have tried over the past 4 years, obviously giving it time to work before moving on to something else.
Medications: Melatonin 1mg. Works well and currently used but makes her crabby/mean the next day if used for more than a week at a time. She appears to not be able to sleep off the whole tiredness brought on by the melatonin. We also tried Clonidine (sp?) which worked wonders and had no ill side effects however it is not recommended for more than 4 months of use.
Neurologist #1: let her fall asleep when she wants to and just go into school late, she will out grow it eventually.
Neurologist #2: (today) thinks possible nocturnal seizures, wants to do an mri with contrast and eeg.
I am lost. we do have a family history of epilepsy and nocturnal seizures but neither fits the description of her problems, I have slept next to her enough times to know there is no physical signs of seizures at night. I do not want to do a contrast mri because of the risks involved if it isn't necessary but I am at a loss.
Anyone have any ideas?
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