Only me Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Of course she can't usually fall asleep until at least 2 or 3 am anyway but I feel cruel having to keep her up after that. She is having an EEG tomorrow morning and they want it sleep deprived. They are hoping that she'll fall asleep during the test (I told them that probably won't happen anyway). Her younger brother offered to stay up with her until midnight to keep her company. I'm not sure if he was just being nice or if he just wants to stay up late :) I'm going to try to go to sleep around 9 so that I can set my alarm and get up around 1:00 am. I'm having her staying the family room since I think it would be more difficult to stay up all night in her room. Around 5:00 am my husband said he would get up so that I can go back to bed for 2 hours before we leave for the test. Any other suggestions for keeping us both awake. She can't have any kind of caffeine, although I wouldn't be giving it to her anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Games, games, games! Video, board, charades, etc....anything to keep your minds busy and occupied, but not bored. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Poor kid. Sounds like an ordeal. The only times I've been able to stay up all night is because I'm reading a book I can't put down. TV and movies totally put me to sleep. Can you go the the book store or library and get a new book or two that looks really interesting? Maybe some munchies to go with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeTea Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I see she's a teen...maybe she could jump in the shower? (Okay, that will help for the 15 minute time slot between 2:00 and 2:15.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 No suggestions. Perhaps if I could figure out what has kept me up until 2 am every night since the beginning of October, I could tell you to do that! On the other hand, perhaps if I figured that out for myself, I could help you figure out the answer to help her with her insomnia too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 A great movie? One that's gripping and interesting, nothing too slow or thoughtful. Work on a craft project? Scrapbooking? Cook something fun and labor-intensive for once? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 No suggestions. Perhaps if I could figure out what has kept me up until 2 am every night since the beginning of October, I could tell you to do that! On the other hand, perhaps if I figured that out for myself, I could help you figure out the answer to help her with her insomnia too. LOL no kidding. I'm sorry that you are going through this too. It seems like her insomnia is getting worse and if she falls asleep by 3 it is a good night. She had two nights in the past week that she was up until 5 am. I let her "sleep" until 10:00 or so but she is up every hour for awhile so it is more like she is getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep. It's funny because we are always trying to figure out ways to make her go to sleep but tonight we have to keep her awake. It shouldn't be a problem until 2 or 3 am but I don't want to leave her alone just in case she were to drift off. It will be the toughest from 5:00 am on. I just hope that she is able to fall asleep after the test. Usually no matter how sleep deprived she is she is unable to fall asleep during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfhsmom Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I had to stay up all night for an EEG once when I was a teenager and then stay awake for an MRI right after that test. My grandmother kept pinching my toes and asking me if I was awake--I was supposed to hold still and not talk!:001_smile: So, maybe enlist the help of a toe pinching grandma!:lol: Best wishes!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 24. Probably not what you want her to watch but it has never failed me on nights when I had to stay up. It is almost impossible to fall asleep when there is a massive ciffhanger at the end of every episode. If 24 is not acceptable, try to find some other show on dvd that she can do a marathon on. A very interesting book will work as well. Or playing a computer game. Cleaning the house or organizing things. My sleep cycle is very much like hers. I am wide awake until about 3:30- 4:30 but then I have to get up with the girls at 5:30 so there isn't even any point in laying down until after theyhave left for school. Sometimes the last hour or two is rough. You want to find something that is interesting but quiet so it doesn't wake anyone else up and it also needs to be safe for sleep deprived people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 We used to admit patients for this test and keep them up all night in the hospital. I remember having them hang out at the nurses station. Does she like to bake? Roll out cookies and decorate. Eat! I hope you find her problem soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneeK Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yep, did that a few months back. It was harder for me than her. She had no problem falling asleep for the test. I thought yea right like she is going to fall asleep when they need her to. :001_huh: She did, much to my surprise. We just had a heck of a time waking her back up to finish the test! She never takes naps during the day. I would do arts and crafts, we went to the library and got some movies. That way it was something new. She will do fine-its you who will want to go to sleep.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I had to do this a bunch of times when I was a kid. My mom and I used to play games, do crafts, go shopping late night(it was the only time so it was fun) and then in the morning just when the sun would come up we would go for a long walk to pass the time. Good luck! It won't be that hard and it will be worth it to find out what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria from IN Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 If I'm studying or writing a long paper and I start to get sleepy, I'll get my son to fight with foam swords with me on the porch...in December. The cold always wakes me up, and quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Go wander around the 24 hour Wal-Mart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom27 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I second the games, activities, and wandering around Wal-mart. When you're getting tired books and movies tend to put you to sleep. Also that stuff keeps YOU awake to check on her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Of course she can't usually fall asleep until at least 2 or 3 am anyway but I feel cruel having to keep her up after that. She is having an EEG tomorrow morning and they want it sleep deprived. They are hoping that she'll fall asleep during the test (I told them that probably won't happen anyway). Her younger brother offered to stay up with her until midnight to keep her company. I'm not sure if he was just being nice or if he just wants to stay up late :) I'm going to try to go to sleep around 9 so that I can set my alarm and get up around 1:00 am. I'm having her staying the family room since I think it would be more difficult to stay up all night in her room. Around 5:00 am my husband said he would get up so that I can go back to bed for 2 hours before we leave for the test. Any other suggestions for keeping us both awake. She can't have any kind of caffeine, although I wouldn't be giving it to her anyway. We've been doing these for a couple of years! Yes, the sleep-deprived (dd just had one last month) and ambulatory. You'd be surprised how FAST the time actually goes, for the most part. Wake her up and have her splash some water on her face. Turn lights on all through the house. 1. Go outside and look at the stars....even if it's too cold go for 5 min or longer if you live in warmer climate. 2. Watch a short movie...nothing long where she loses interest and encouraging sleepiness. 3. Play music and dance. 4. Read part of a book. 5. Bake something she likes....a favorite cookie. 6. Call someone (family and friend) in another time zone. 7. Play computer games. 8. Paint each other's nails. 9. Catch up on housework....sort/fold clothes. 10. Water color a little picture. 11. Let her read these responses to know others are thinking of her. 12. Light exercise like marching in place or whatever works. We've done all of the above. If you have to repeat in future, remember which ones in all these posts work, so you can use them again. My dh stayed awake with our dd until 11. I went to bed early. They went to bed at 11. I woke up along with my dd at 2 am while my dh stayed in bed. And, my dd and I stayed awake all night. However, about 6 am I call my dh early to take over the last hour so I go back to bed for a cat nap, shower, dress etc. 1. No caffeine 2. They should have informed you to wash dd's hair with baby shampoo or shampoo with NO protein builders. 3. NO conditioner, period. 4. You may want to consider, if you haven't, making your appt. first one in the morning to get it over with. 5. They want her to sleep AFTER 2 or 3 am? Or wake up at 2 or 3? All will go well. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 we've had to do this twice now. I had ALL the kids involved. We had a party, played games, watched movies, ate candy and ice cream. We went for midnight walks in the cool/cold air. We went outside to play in the barn. Every time we got tired, we bundled up and went outside. The ride to the hospital was the hardest as it was 1.5 hours, but we somehow made it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Don't get comfy on the couch or in the recliner. Sit at the table or something. Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 We did 'pie and pjs' at a local 24hour restaurant. Then sat in the booth and played Rummy for hours. Being in the restaurant watching the people come and go, and getting catered too helped. :0) The waitress was tipped well for keeping it fun and lighthearted. We came home at 3 or 4am and then took showers. At 5-6-7ish we made a very yummy breakfast and prepped dinner for the crock pot so I didn't have to cook dinner. Homemade cinnamon rolls or bread are a great thing to make as they take some time and aren't a typical thing for people to cook at home, so it is more interesting. (more common here, I know, but not for everyone) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Thanks for all of the great ideas. I went to bed around 10:00 but didn't fall asleep until after midnight. Most nights I easily fall asleep but of course tonight I tossed and turned. I set my alarm for 1:30 so that I could wake up and my son could go to bed. Of course he is wide awake and watching a movie with his sister and begging me to let him stay up until the movie is over. So we should be fine until after the movie is over but after that I think I may struggle to stay awake. My daughter is OK since she usually can't fall asleep until 3 am anyway but she only got 3 hours of sleep last night so she is pretty exhausted. We have freezing rain here tonight so I really can't drive anywhere. It would be risky to go to the 24 hour Walmart anyway. Even though we live in a safe suburb and the Walmart is only 5 minutes away it is pretty questionable even during the day but we won't go there at night. One time we went shopping there and this lady was acting very suspicious watching me. I felt very uneasy. Wouldn't you know it but later that night when I was watching the news I saw her face on the news report. She had robbed an old lady. She was pretty old herself but she robbed a poor 90 year old woman. I guess my instincts were right. Anyway, there is often that kind of trouble at that store so we stay away at night. My daughter is gluten intolerant so going to the IHOP is out of the question but the weather is too dangerous tonight anyway. After the movie is over I'm going to offer her a snack and maybe we'll play a game for awhile. If we get too tired we may splash or faces with water or step outside in the garage for a little bit. I'll probably stay off the couch since I'm sure I'll want to go right to sleep. Maybe I'll sit at the computer all night :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Well, how'd it go last night? Any news from the test yet? Or is your whole house sound asleep? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Well we made it. I only slept two hours. My daughter had a tough time but she was able to stay awake. The test went fine. As they were putting the electrodes on her head there was a toddler screaming in the room next door. She was having the same test and was not happy. She kept it up for about 10 minutes after my daughter's test started so I was sure that my daughter was not going to be able to fall asleep. I guess my daughter was extra tired between only getting 3 hours of sleep Tuesday night and no sleep last night. Amazingly my daughter was able to fall asleep for 25 minutes during the EEG until the fire alarm woke her up. The fire alarm went off and the lights started flashing. Not the most peaceful way to be woken up! I wonder what showed up on the EEG at that time. Fortunately they had gotten enough information. We're hoping to get the results this afternoon but should get them by Monday. I'm off to take a nap. My daughter is going to try sleep too but that 25 minute nap that she had will probably prevent her from falling asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 How is your daughter doing? Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted February 6, 2010 Author Share Posted February 6, 2010 Thanks for asking. The EEG came back normal, which I guess is good for the most part. Of course we didn't want anything to be wrong but on the other hand the neurologist said that it lead us to another dead end. My daughter also had bloodwork done. The Lyme disease test and encephalitis test came back negative, which is definitely a good thing but the ANA came back positive (slightly). We are going to the rheumatologist on Thursday due to the fact that her ANA was elevated and that her knees keep on becoming swollen and painful for no reason. The problem is that we don't even know if this is related to the insomnia. We think that she has some kind of an autoimmune disease. We know that she is gluten intolerant (which is autoimmune) but we think that something else may be going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 How frustrating! I hope they come up with some good answers soon as to why she's having this problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Make sure they test her for PANDAS. It's a strep test. Q. Are there any other symptoms associated with PANDAS episodes? A. Yes. Children with PANDAS often experience one or more of the following symptoms in conjunction with their OCD and/or tics: ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, inattention, fidgety) Separation anxiety (Child is "clingy" and has difficulty separating from his/her caregivers. For example, the child may not want to be in a different room in the house from his/her parents.) Mood changes (irritability, sadness, emotional lability) Sleep disturbance Night- time bed wetting and/or day- time urinary frequency Fine/gross motor changes (e.g. changes in handwriting) Joint pains Q. What exactly is an anti-streptococcal antibody titer? A. The anti-streptococcal antibody titer determines whether there is immunologic evidence of a previous strep. infection. Two different strep. tests are commercially available: the antistrepolysin O (ASO) titer, which rises 3-6 weeks after a strep. infection, and the antistreptococcal DNAase B (AntiDNAse-B) titer, which rises 6-8 weeks after a strep. infection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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