Sleeping Issues?

[6wishes]

I am posting here as I am scheduled to have a neuropsych eval for 10 1/2 dd, but they couldn't get us in until Dec. however, I've had an issue come up, and I'm unsure what to do....with her, I'm wondering if we're dealing with ADHD but won't know here for a while :)...I'm the meantime, she is not able to go to sleep at night and I'm at my wits end! She keeps coming into my room complaining she can't get to sleep and wanting to sleep on our floor, we keep saying no and discipline for it. Last night, I finally went in her room and slept on the floor because I wanted to see if it was really a sleeping problem or something else. She was able to settle and get to sleep...my question is, has anyone had kids who have this going on with ADHD and if you are using medication, does it help with this? Or has anyone else's kids had sleeping issues at this age (she is starting puberty, I can tell)...

[dbmamaz]

My son had sleep issues, but a little younger. His meds helped, but they were not ADHD meds, they were anxiety meds and more along those lines.

 

Before the meds, sometimes a bath with Epsom salts helped, and you can try melatonin which is safe for kids

[dmmm]

Melatonin was a life saver for us. We gave my dd .5mg and it helped tremendously.

 

ADHD meds made her sleeping so much worse. They usually start the kids off with stimulants, so it can keep them up for hours.

 

Also, just a suggestion, but instead of disciplining her for coming in your room, try rewarding her for NOT coming in your room. So for example, if she doesn't come in and sleeps in her room, she earns a point. If she earns x amount of points, she can get a game, go to a movie, whatever would motivate her.

 

I would also invest in a reading lamp. Let her know that if she can't sleep, she can read in her bed, but she may not come in your room.

[merry gardens]

You might look into audio visual entrainment. (AVE) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio%E2%80%93visual_entrainment Try to find someone nearby you familiar with neurotechnology. It sounds kinds wacky, but we had a free demo at a clinic and the tech looked at one child's reading and asked, "Do you have a hard time falling asleep." YES!!! His brain waves didn't do what most people's do when he closed his eyes, and that's how she knew he had a hard time falling asleep. After a few weeks with an AVE machine, the situation improved.

[AngieW in Texas]

My youngest starting having sleep issues at 11.5yo. It started off being a problem with getting to sleep maybe 2-3x/month, quickly moved up to 1-2x/week, and then on to every night, with staying asleep being as much of a problem as getting to sleep.

 

After two years of severe sleep deprivation, she finally got a prescription for sleep meds. After just two nights on sleep meds, 90% of her problems were gone.

 

We did everything. We set up good sleep hygiene, we got her an air purifier for white noise, we got her a sleep mask so she's be completely in the dark. I stayed in the room with her until she fell asleep (that was taking 1-2 hours), but then she'd wake up again after sleeping for just 1-2 hours and lie awake again for several hours. We tried every OTC medication. We tried Power Nap cds. We tried exercise 6 hours before bed as many days as we could manage each week. We tried counseling for anxiety.

 

The only thing that worked was the sleep med. She's been taking it every night for 9 months now and it is wonderful. She is just about ready to try cutting back on her dosage. She only takes 3/4 of the lowest dosage tablet that is made, so she'll drop to 1/2 tablet as soon as she feels ready.

[6wishes]

Melatonin was a life saver for us. We gave my dd .5mg and it helped tremendously.

 

ADHD meds made her sleeping so much worse. They usually start the kids off with stimulants, so it can keep them up for hours.

 

Also, just a suggestion, but instead of disciplining her for coming in your room, try rewarding her for NOT coming in your room. So for example, if she doesn't come in and sleeps in her room, she earns a point. If she earns x amount of points, she can get a game, go to a movie, whatever would motivate her.

 

I would also invest in a reading lamp. Let her know that if she can't sleep, she can read in her bed, but she may not come in your room.

 

I actually tried the rewarding system-for every night she stayed in her room, she earned a star, and after so many, she wold pick something out. This worked for one night. She also has a flashlight where she reads after she was put to bed (she's always been the one that doesn't go to sleep right away), and in the past, she would read, eventually turn off the flashlight, and go to sleep. I've known about melatonin and haven't tried it yet, but am definitely willing.

 

You might look into audio visual entrainment. (AVE) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio%E...al_entrainment Try to find someone nearby you familiar with neurotechnology. It sounds kinds wacky, but we had a free demo at a clinic and the tech looked at one child's reading and asked, "Do you have a hard time falling asleep." YES!!! His brain waves didn't do what most people's do when he closed his eyes, and that's how she knew he had a hard time falling asleep. After a few weeks with an AVE machine, the situation improved.

 

This sounds very interesting. I may have to being this up when we have our neuropsych. Parent's meeting next week.I may have to talk to my ped. About meds, I hate to just start off with them.

[Heathermomster]

Both of my children struggle with sleep. DH and many of his relatives are night owls, including BIL and MIL. DS started having night terrors when he was 10 months old. They went away for some time and then came back with a vengeance when he was 10yo. DS has been taking melatonin for a year now, and he sleeps better with no night terrors. Screen time and caffeine seem to affect DS the most.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Heathermomster

[sbgrace]

You might look into audio visual entrainment. (AVE) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio%E2%80%93visual_entrainment Try to find someone nearby you familiar with neurotechnology. It sounds kinds wacky, but we had a free demo at a clinic and the tech looked at one child's reading and asked, "Do you have a hard time falling asleep." YES!!! His brain waves didn't do what most people's do when he closed his eyes, and that's how she knew he had a hard time falling asleep. After a few weeks with an AVE machine, the situation improved.

I had never heard of that! How interesting.

 

OP, we do melatonin here and it has been a life saver for years now. My son can't settle either. The trick with melatonin is to do the lowest effective dose. My son did .25 mg. for a very long time. I think he takes .5 mg now as that's the pill we're getting (I'm not sure/hubby does night time supplements but I'm guessing he's not giving him 1/2). Melatonin works best for your situation--those who have trouble going to sleep rather than those who have issues staying asleep. They do make extended release though.

[cindergretta]

Our ds9 is going to a sleep clinic for children with autism. He can't fall asleep worth a darn. It has times of being an overwhelming issue for us. Dh isn't comfortable with giving him melatonin (although our ds18 uses it) and ds9 is on meds for ADHD and anxiety. We don't use them when he doesn't "need" them (we aren't going somewhere or aren't doing school or whatever.) But his sleep patterns have always been wackadoodle, since long before he started meds.

 

I am really looking forward to the sleep clinic. They don't use meds to correct sleep issues, so that is a huge bonus to us.

 

Our dc are allowed to sleep in our room any time they want - in their own little nest on the floor. ;) It just isn't a big deal to *us,* but I understand that it is extremely different for each and every family. :grouphug: