Hoping for a Response

Benadryl. It's an antihistamine which is also a sleep aide. It will make her drowsy. It is perfectly safe, also.
As for the talking and whatnot, she's a sleepwalker. She's probably talking to her guardian angels at night, so don't be worried.
If you're up for it, for the spiritual side of this, I recommend Sylvia Browne's "Psychic Children".
For the physical side, definantly Benadryl over the counter.

if melatonin doesn't work, why don't they try ambien? or remeron? I am sorry that I don't have any other advice. Maybe switch drs?

My brother was completely normal, but still slept walk, played in his sleep, peedin his sleep (rarely in the bathroom but random places around the house thinking it was the bathroom) for years. He would walk steps in his sleep. One time they found him outside. He had unlocked the door and walked out to play. But if you asked him his name and his brithday or who she was he wouldn't have a clue. He would get this look on his face, completely blank and be like I don't know. He couldn't tell you where he was in the house playing, or even what he was doing. My mom would have to stay with him and try to wake him up and wait for him to wake him up. Sometmes she would take him back to bed, and he would go back to sleep. Fortunately for us, he didn't do it every night, and she adventually figured out it was related to the fact that he had to pee. Have you tried moving the matress to the floor? At least then she is sleeping on a matress still and still close enough to the ground if she fell off she would be ok. Otherwise, I'm sorry. I'm not sure what say! :( Best of Luck!

I don't know that I can help a lot. My son had sleep problems when he was under a year old and I read the book by Dr. Richard Ferber called "Solving your child's sleep problems" (or something like that). In the book he describes "night terrors" which sounds like what you describe with your daughter being non-responsive but seemingly awake. You may want to get the book from the library.

I'm very sorry you havne't gotten responces on ehre, i don't always either but normally i do and I love this site, but anyways, i did a quick search to try to see if i could understand your daughters condition a little better and had very little luck, which is odd, 3 of my 4 children have had different problems and researching such things is what i do....regardless of her condition though it seems your big issue is her sleep or lack thereof. on that i do have some ideas though you've probally tried them all. is it possbile for you to co-sleep with her? you can een sidecar a crib to your bed, which would provide a bigger rail that she shouldn't be able to get over and the nearness of you might help her sleep soundly. another thing to look into is she on a medicationtaht could be causing this, every person responds differently to meds so even if it isn't a known side effect if it's possible to try her on something else that could solve the problem if she is taking anything. my son was a sleep walker and would do all sorts of craazy things, like go and play with the toys or watch tv and he was truely asleep so i know what that is like andit's plain wierd at times. and lastly i guess is there any way if she is not distrested while she is doing these thigs that it can be ignored? with her other problems that might not be an option but if she is basically doing nothng but having a very active ahppy dream could you maybe just go back to sleep and let it play out? sorry i couldn't be more help, hopefully you get some more good advice on this one, best of luck.

It sounds similar to night terrors...except your daughter isn't "terroring" as much as my daughter did. My daughter had a bout of night terrors from the age of 2-4 and would wake up screaming, talking to someone, walk around her room as if she was lost, etc. It was definitely scary to watch and even harder to deal with. She could not be consoled because she was in such a deep sleep and even if we tried to touch or hug her, she would get even worse. Low and behold, we talked to her Dr. and found out that we were indeed dealing with dreaded night terrors. I got a book from the library and did lots of research. The main thing that I learned is that it is best to not wake a child in this state of sleep. All you can do is look on a make sure that they are safe and guide them back to bed. It is amazing to me that she would wake up in the morning as if nothing ever happened and she seemed to be getting a full night's rest. It is something that was triggered by a full day of socializing, we had a new baby in the house, and if she were to get over-tired then we new what to expect for the night. Hope this sheds some light on your daughter's sleep issues. My daughter, too, had bed rails and would end up everywhere...it's amazing what these night terrors brings on. Best of luck!

not sure what to tell you, my youngest brother went through night terrors for a year of so when he was in grade school but he outgrew it. but just wanted to tell you good luck & send you online hugs *hug*

C. - You must be exhausted. I noticed you said she had been to a sleep clinic. Did they have any advice for you on a course of action? Suggestions on things to try? I will do some looking around and see if I can come up with anything.

I am a 31 yr. old blessed mother of 2, I have worked in the health field for 10 yrs now & can't imagine doing anything else...you need to observe what your daughter does at night, whitout you being in the room..any dept. store sell tv baby monitors, get one and monitor your child for a couple of nights and see if there's any routine to what she is doing. then contact your local drug store and have them order a soft rubber head protecter for her to wear at night(very important if she doesn't already have one), next go to walmart or some other store like that and go to the toothbrush ilse..where they have the TRAY TOOTH WHITENING KITS, getone that has the tray that you heat up & form to your mouth, i think it's about 10.00, get it & fit it to her mouth..use this on her at night to keep her from tearing the skin when she bites herself. it sounds like she has mastered rolling, toys r us has gym mats thatyou can buy and put those down to sleep on. i know it sounds like alot to buy, but most are inexpensive.you can also go to an elementary school & ask for gym mats they don't use anymore. i have worked with neonatals-geriatrics, from my expirience it does get better when they get older, they find thier own way to "talk" to you, just be very keen & observant & you'll figure it all out. one patient i had would roll to the closet door in the middle of the night & beat their head against it..it took 2 weeks almost to figure out it was a bathroom call & they were messy(sorry can't say he/she, against the law), all the while before we just thought it was bad dreams.if you need anything i'm just an ear shot away. I truly empathize with what you are going through, I know most times you feel like it's never going to get better & this is as good as it gets. Just take a deep breath, close your eyes, release it slowly and imagine yourself in a far off place, some place you have always wanted to go, visualize how everything would be down to a grain of sand..repeat this process every time you feel you're going to lose it.

This may sound crazy to you but at this point it sounds like your already going crazy. I would not normally aproach a stranger with this advice but I think it might help you. My best friends daughter used to have the same issues she eventually took her to a dream pyschic. You can find them on the internet. The woman explained that she was having visions and worked with her daughter and gave her some kind of charm to help her sleep. She was also able to explain in depth what her daughter was going though and talk with her daughter. I know I sound crazy but it really worked. I hope this will help you don't give up. There are lots of fakes out there obviously but there are real people who could help. Why not the doctors can't figure it give a not so ordinary person a try never know she maybe able to help. Good luck. Blessed be!

I just wanted to respond to the above suggestion about ambien. I'm not sure that they even prescribe it for children, but I can't say enough bad things about it. It's actually based off a hallucinogen and makes some people have visions of things that aren't there, in some adult cases it induces suicidal behaviors! My best friend (not a mom) used to take ambien and would call people, go places, and do things after taking ambien, but would remember none of it. I don't recommend it for anyone at all!

So while I don't have a solution, I do send warm sympathy your way. I hope you find a solution that works for you!

Hi C.! I feel for you and your situation. . .though I am not in the same situation as you I do have two friends that have a child that is handicapped. I'm not sure what the one has (the name of it), but she is about 8 and cannot walk or talk so it is very difficult for them to comunicate with their daughter. One thing they started to do with their daughter is take her to the horse therapy classes. I don't know if you have something around you like this, but we have one near me in Mansfield Ohio. This was the best thing they did for their daughter because it was able to stimulate their daughter so she would be more tired during the night. And the therapy helps in so many ways. The one near me is Raemelton and they may be able to find a place like this near you. It is very good for handicapped children and may just be enough to help your daughter not only during the day but also at night.

Also, I noticed one of the listed advices mentioned Benadryl. . .I would defnitely think twice about this, because Benadryl can actually have a reverse effect on your daughter. . it may make her have more energy, causing her to stay up even more. Though it can cause drowsiness, it says right on the bottle that it may have the reverse effect. . .especially in children. If you are going to consider trying this, then I would recommend trying it during the day first before you use it at night.

Well, I hope this helps a little. . .I wish you best of luck and will be praying for you and your family (and your sleep)

C., I'm sorry but I don't have any answers. To me it sounds like she is sleep walking in her own special way. It appears as if she is responding to her dreams...scared or having a conversation. Do you have a partner?...husband or other that could help? When my babies were born my husband and I shared the nights. He would take one and then I would take next. YOUR sleep is important too. When you said your lack of sleep is effecting you family I could believe it...no sleep and stress. Maybe if you have a friend or a grandparent they could also come over every thrid or fourth day...even once a week to spend the night to help out. You need sleep. Your son needs you too. Does she go to a day program once a week? Does she have a social worker? Unfortunately I don't know of any programs but call your county office....Hamilton, Butler, Clermont...whatever and see if they have an assistance for you. If you don't want to put her in a hospital or institution...which I understand...you love your baby girl...no one could take better care of her....but then you need help. Real big help. There doesn't seem to be a solution for she sleep disorder..you've tried lots of roads...now how do we live with it? I'm a real light sleeper so I have to put a air filter on high in my room when my husband took the the baby so I won't hear anything and wake up anyway. Keep knocking on doors until you get help. She might not have a solution to her night wakes but you and your family as ateam need to figure out how to live with her

Hi C.... I am sorry no one responded to your question, I would assume it is because your situation is different than most. Since your daughter has special needs, I would contact her primary pediatrician for help. If you aren't getting anywhere with the doctors, I would just try the internet. Check with other parents of children with the same disability. Check out umdf.org - they have all sorts of information and parent support groups. Reach out to these resources and just pray. You are never alone, you may just have to look for someone who is challenged the way you are. Good luck and I will keep you in my prayers.

C., What does her doctor say about it? Have you discussed your concerns with him? I have never had this exact problem but I do know the frustration and how it affects your home and everyone in it. I also have a profoundly mentally and physically handicapped daughter. I wanted to reply just to let you know someone does understand and you aren't alone with your sleepless nights. It can be frustrating and really break your heart at the same time. Hang in there and pray is the best you can do right now. If you have a friend that can help you that might help you get the rest you need to care for her the rest of the time. And it will give you a break to spend time with your other child. Take care and I will say a prayer for you and yours. I do understand some of what you live with.
TrenaS

I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you but I empathize with your situation. I am one that needs a lot of sleep too and when my babies were little I think everyone suffered from my lack of sleep too. I have no idea what to tell you, but I will definitely be thinking of you and your family.

In your situation I would say the best thing to do is pray for her. Jesus I pray Lord for Faith that you would touch her with your healing power. I release your healing anointing power on her body. I say you have to line up with the word of God. I pray Lord that you would help her to sleep. I say in the name of Jesus that she will sleep. I pray Lord that as she is sleeping on her bed that she will not fall out of her bed. I pray that you would keep her safe. I pray that you would surround your angels around her and her family. I pray that you would surround her with your love. I release your healing anointing power over her and I say that she is healed and restored by Jesus stripes she is healed. That she is advanced in the name of Jesus . I thank you for what you are doing in her body right now. I thank you Lord that she is going to sleep well from this night forward and always. In Jesus name I pray amen...... Be blessed.

I feel your pain. I have a severely disabled 6 yr old son. He is a quadrapalejic with Cerebral Palsey, Epilepsy, Asthma, Reflux and allergies. He didn't start sleeping through the night until he was about 5yrs old. He would sleep abot 2 hrs a night and 2 hours during the day. It was awful! The Drs finally gave him a type of Valium to help him sleep. My son is also nonverbal. It is so hard to go through this. Although, my sons eegs were not normal, obviously due to his epilepsy. I don't know if your daughter has a neurologist or not, but that is who prescribed the Valium to help with the sleeping. It has really helped a lot. He will now sleep a full night.
Good Luck and God Bless you and your family

Wow, C.:
You have your hands full! I' not sure I have any good solutions, but I also understand how hard it is to reach out for help and have no one respond. I can at least do that!
Could she be on so many other RX's that sleep aids just won't mix well or work? Could her meds be tweeked? P.

Hi C.,
I would consult a professional on this because I do not know the extent of your daughter's handicap, but what she seems to be going through sounds an awful lot what I went through with my son. It sounds like "Night Terrors." There is little known about this, except that it seems to be a disruption in their sleep cycle. Presently, there is nothing that can be done for it and practically all children who suffer from this eventually grow out of it. I went through this with my son for about 4 months; it did pop back up for about a month when he was 1 1/2, but he seems to have outgrown it. He is now 4 1/2. Although, there is a chance he may eventually sleep walk because he is already talking quite clearly in his sleep, and his father walked in his sleep when he was a little older than our son. It is a terrifying thing to experience, and unfortunately my son's "episodes" were borderline violent. As with your daughter, he seemed like he was wide awake throwing a major tantrum, but did not recognize us or allow us to comfort him. All you can do is make sure that she is in a safe place when these episodes occur. Seeing that she can mange to climb out of her crib, then you may be better off taking the mattress out of the crib and letting her sleep on the floor, making sure there is nothing around her that she may use to harm herself. Unfortunately, my advice is not much, but I will say a prayer for your daughter, you and your family. God bless and hopefully soon, this phase your daughter is going through will pass.

C.

Hello C., I think you have a tough one if this stumps the professionals as well. I don't know if this would help or not, but my family and friends have been benefitting tremendously healthwise from a juice called MonaVie. Much of the time your body can heal itself given the right nutrition. I know that this juice does help most people sleep better than ever and gives energy during the day. Your daughter's problem is more of a genetic one, but who knows...it might be worth a try. It's just fruit and it is packed full of nutrition. It's helping people with a whole host of serious and not so serious health issues. It's very affordable for children because they don't need as much. This stuff really works. Microsoft took seven years to hit the billion dollar mark...MonaVie has done it in three!! That would not be possible if it didn't work. Check out the website at www.monavie.com and call me ###-###-#### or shoot me an email at ____@____.com God Bless your babies and yourself as well. Take care. N. Lurry