Hello ladies,
My DD is 4 1/2 years old and cannot fall asleep. She's NEVER required a large amount of sleep but it seems to be getting worse. Last night she slept for an hour. We put her to bed at 8:30 p.m. and let her watch a bit of tv because she was not tired. We turned the tv off at 9:30 p.m. and she laid in her bed from 9:30 to 4:30 a.m. staring at the wall. This has become the norm for her. She doesn't play, she's not watching tv, she just can't fall asleep. What we've tried:
Bedtime routine
No stimulation before bedtime (tv, electronics)
No sugar/caffeine
Different beds
I slept with her for a few nights
Moved her sister into her room
Night lights as well as no lights
Tonsils and adenoids removed
She does not nap (we tried naps and she didn't sleep at all during the night)
I'm at wits end! She does not snore or appear to have any problems breathing. Once she does fall asleep she sleeps very light. If you walk into her room one eye will pop open and she'll ask you what you are doing. Now, her bio-dad has severe insomnia and has to take medication for it. I've talked until I'm blue in the face to the pediatrician and she just keeps telling me to establish a bedtime routine. ARRRGGHHH I've done that! It's not working! She has had terrible night terrors in the past but hasn't had them in months. Any advice or help at all? I'm so worried about her. She's starting to get sick a lot due to the fact she gets no sleep. Thanks ladies!
Just to answer any additional questions - she has a younger sister who sleeps normally. Also, we do everything we can to wear her out. She goes to preschool all week. She loves being outside and we constantly take her to the zoo, park, just outside to play and go for walks.
This is something that to me is a reason to seek a specialist. For an adult who does not sleep they develop sleep deprivation and it can lead to death. She needs to see someone asap for sleep disorders.
I have a 6 year old who sleeps fine, and a 1 year old who sleeps fine (well as fine as you can expect from a 1 year old) but my 4 year old twins are a lot like you say your daughter is. We started having behavior problems because of their tiredness.... their pediatrician immediately put them on medication. We gave it to them about 15 min before bedtime and they are asleep within 30 min of taking it. It has been a HUGE solution to our problem. About 2 months ago they started saying they didnt want to take the med so we did a test run and they havent had their med in over a month and they are sleeping how normal little boys should be! if your ped cant help you, i wouldnt hesitate to find a new one
Go see a specialist. It sounds to me like a sleep disorder, and medication may help her as well.
I have to think that the lack of sleep will eventually catch up to her developmentally in school.
My neighbors went to see Weissbluth himself, and have severely regimented (and medicated) their little girl. It's helped her quite a bit. We live in Chicago, so that makes it easier, of course.
But I would look past the pediatrician. You know in your gut something else needs to be done.
I would try melatonin--Trader Joe's sells some that's a chewable peppermint, it's 500 mcg per tablet (a regular adult dose is 3 mg, so it's 1/6th). It should help regulate her sleep cycles and just help her fall asleep. If your pediatrician can't give you any other advice, i would find a new one or find a sleep specialist to help your poor little girl out.
You may want to try calcium/magnesium at NIGHT - calcium and magnesium are natural nervous system relaxants. We give our kids 1 tablespoon each night and they sleep like logs. It can take up to 1 week to see a difference. (Bluebonnett or Lifetime brands and blueberry flavor - shake well, really well and keep refrigerated.)
Also very few people need extra Manganese, but I find that works well for sleeping.
Passion flower extract can work well. I know people who have gone off their anti-depressants and are doing better on just passion flower. it takes the stress levels down. You'd be amazed at how stressed some kids are!
Melatonin (spray) can work IF that's the issue, so you can try it, but if it doesn't work, then don't keep giving it to her, since the pineal gland should be making enough.
The last thing is adrenal fatigue. If you were stressed when pregnant with her, then her adrenal also get stressed. Drenamin from Standard Process can work well. If the adrenals are amped - meaning the sympathetic nervous sytem (fight or flight) is being stimulated constantly, then the body can never switch over to parasympathetic (rest and digest). It makes it IMPOSSIBLE for adults and children to sleep.
Our son does well when taking 2 Drenamin at night with calmag. We also get him adjusted and he sleeps REALLY well, since our chiropractor works with the nervous system, right? Find a pediatric chiropractor from www.icpa4kids.org
There is a really great product from ROEX called Lights Out and I know adults who take 1 about 30 minutes before bed and they sleep ALL night.
Good luck!
Sounds similar to my 4 year old. When we were at the end of our rope and asked our ped for a referral to the Pediatric Sleep Clinic at Childrens Mercy and he was tested for iron deficiancy. Turns out he was extremely anemic. Within a week of taking the prescribed meds we noticed a difference. Now he sleeps 11 hours a night.
I would try giving her a bath with lavender, Johnsons and Johnsons has one. read her a nice and calm night time story and play some nice relaxing music in the room. I think that tv is the problem. She might be laying there trying to make sense of what she has seen. No naps during the day is she getting enough exercise? are you wearing her out? I would have her blood work checked and anything else. There is something. You could take her to an acupuncturist. I would try anything before I do any medication.
Consider a second opinion, and Talk with her dr. and possibly give her melatonin. It is a natural sleep aid. It just relaxes them enough, so they can fall asleep. Good luck, mama!
Have you asked your ped about giving her some melatonin? I have found that helps our 4 YO to relax and be able to fall asleep. Or I give her back massages and sing her to sleep. She has a hard time getting her mind to shut down.
Maybe a white noise machine would help her stay asleep? We run one in each of our girls' rooms. It's impossible either of them to sleep through a tantrum the other may have. :) I know people will say not to give them a crutch but at this point, I'm not worried about it. I can gradually wean them off it when they are older. They need their sleep now and don't have the ability to count sheep indefinitely, etc.
I would also say that there's nothing more true than sleep begets sleep. I know it sounds counter-intuitive to us, because if we nap, then we can't fall asleep at night. But a 4 YO should get 11-12 hours of sleep each day between bedtime and naptime. Our 4 YO usually sleeps for 10 hours at night and takes an hour nap. She's a terrible sleeper - not quite as bad as yours, but she only slept for 8 hours one day when she was 5 months old. It. Was. Awful.
Anyway, she is definitely phasing out her nap, but if she doesn't get a good night's sleep, she can't nap, and she gets worse sleep each night because she's overtired. If I were you, I would do ANYTHING it took to get her to sleep for a few nights. Drive around if she sleeps in the car, give her some melatonin or benedryl, etc. Once her body starts sleeping again, it will become easier for her to sleep.
Poor baby! Poor Mama! So sorry. I hope you find a solution soon.
I would take her to a sleep specialist . . There is one in St. Louis, MO . . . maybe google it for your area. Something else, there is a magnesium lotion you can apply to the back of their knees and wrists that will hable "calm" them down . . . Might look into a naturopath/chiropractor I bet they have some strategies that will work. . . Good luck and please keep us posted. . . My dd has night terrors too and is also not the greatest sleeper so I can relate!
