sleep aids for kids?

[Farrar]

Long story short, ds9 has not slept well for about a month and it's making him completely insufferable.  He has regressed so much with so much of his anxiety work.  It began because he was in a community theater production and had to keep late hours on several days but couldn't make himself sleep in or take naps, despite us trying to create time and ways for him to do so.  He's always been early to bed, early to rise and he's always really, really needed his sleep.  We've tried for the last week, even over Christmas, to help him get back into a routine, but it's not really helping.  He's not had insomnia in ages, but he just can't make himself rest.  It's like he's fighting it all the way, even though he knows he needs to sleep.

 

I feel like he just needs to reset.  If he could just get a good night's sleep for two or three days, he would normalize and be himself again and be able to go to sleep like he always has.  So I'm really tempted to give him melatonin, which dh takes occasionally with his crazy night shift schedule.  But when I looked it up, there was so much stuff about how doctors are worried parents are giving to kids too much and there aren't enough studies about it and so forth.  So now I just don't know.

 

What sayeth the hive on very occasional melatonin and kids?  Any other suggestions?  I'm not big into the homeopathy, but I'd give something a try.  When I looked up other suggestions, it was all very duh, like no caffeine and keep a consistent bedtime.  I don't feel like I need a long term solution - we already give him time to wind down in the evening, don't do caffeine or sodas ever, don't do too many sweets, etc. etc.  I just need him to sleep this week.  Otherwise he's going to go nuts.  Or we are.

[zoobie]

I've given my older DC Calms Forte. What works better is a CD (actually we use the MP3 because I wanted it immediately but whatever!) called Indigo Ocean Dreams. There are a few by the same company, but I think we have the Ocean Dreams. It's cheesy and my kids whine a bit if I remind them to use it, but once they do, it's zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Farrar]

That Calms Forte came up when I searched.

 

We have tried music.  And white noise.  No dice.

[Guest submarines]

We have almost identical sleep issues as well, with DD11. I used to give her a very small dose of liquid melatonin, occasionally, to help her re-set, and it worked really well. The family doctor said to avoid it, because it can interfere with hormones during puberty. At that point we didn't discuss doses or anything like that--I wish I did. I wonder if the doctor assumed huge doses.

 

Now DD takes Jamieson Relax and Sleep. I'm not sure if it is making a huge difference, but she finds it reassuring. She also listens to kids' meditation tape before falling asleep. Lately she's been finding tapping (EFT) really useful too. She says that as long as she believes it is helping, it is helping. :D

 

Good luck. Sleep issues are so draining, for all involved. :grouphug:

[zoobie]

That Calms Forte came up when I searched.

 

We have tried music. And white noise. No dice.

It's a guided relaxation CD. There's music in the background, but it's not the focus. :)

[chelsmm]

Epsom salt bath before bed

Weighted blanket?  My son just started using a small weighted blanket- he was having a tough time falling asleep- and it seems to be helping.

I'd try the Bach flower rememdy too.  I really like the rescue rememdy.

[blondeviolin]

I'd use the melatonin with no hesitation and have for my 7yo (with my pedi's knowledge).

[Lucy in Australia]

Magnesium (or try an Epsom Salts bath)

[Guest submarines]

We've used calms forte, weighted blanket, and a white noise machine. What about foods that make one sleepy? Milk, turkey, there must be others. Exercise earlier in the day...

 

Bananas.

[happi duck]

Rescue Remedy, mentioned above, also has a sleep version.

 

 

Liquid calcium magnesium makes me very sleepy.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Whenever one of my kids gets too far off schedule (and makes us nuts with the chronic tired behavior), what always seems to do the trick is mom or dad cuddling them at bedtime until they go to sleep. A read-aloud while lying down, maybe a short, peaceful chat while cuddling, then silence and cuddling. Also, my kids have always listened to an ocean sounds white noise cd going to sleep. With oldest DS (who is also anxious), I have him do deep breathing exercises in bed when he is trying to sleep.

[Hakg]

I would use Melatonin just for a few nights until his body clock has re-set.  We often need to do this to re-adjust with DS9.   Recently we went away on holiday and DS wasn't getting to bed until about 10pm every night due to the time difference (which is late for him, he is usually in bed by 7.30pm).  When we returned home, he couldn't get to sleep any earlier than 10pm, but was still waking at his usual 5.30am - not nearly enough sleep for my little guy, and he was a nightmare during daytime.  Melatonin was the only thing that re-set his body clock quickly.

[MyLittleWonders]

We use magnesium (Natural Calm), Epsom salt baths with lavender oil, and homeopathic coffea cruda (it helps slow the body down; works well with restless leg too).

[Laura Corin]

Are you managing to get him some exercise?  I find that being outside and walking briskly (or equivalent) for at least half an hour in the daylight helps to reset my clock.

 

L

[laundrycrisis]

I get chewable melatonin in the 1 mg tablet and then cut it in half.  That and a little lavender oil on the hair really help our son.  Going multiple nights in a row without sleeping very much or very well is a really bad thing.  This helps.  Our ped is fine with it. 

[queenie]

A good quality lavender oil on the bottom of the feet and a drop on the pillow work for my oldest when she is having trouble sleeping. Magnesium also really helps us like some of the previous posters. Good luck!

[T'smom]

I give my 6 yo melatonin regularly with no ill effects. I think it would be a great thing in your situation. I give just a tiny sent of the liquid,though would increase a bit for a much older/larger child.

[gardenmom5]

the effectiveness of melatonin varies according to why there is insomnia.  kids with anxiety and spectrum disorders often produce inadequate amounts, and respond well.   my son benefited, but we still had to give him a pretty good sized dose.  (then we did 12 weeks of glutathione injections and he stopped needing it at all.) he was very difficult to supplement, but the very next night after having melatonin the first time, he asked for more.  If I forgot to give it to him, he reminded me.

 kids who are otherwise neuro-typical, don't benefit as much.  but you can go ahead and try it. 

 

other things to try - warm bath before bedtime with Epsom salts.  the magnesium can be helpful.

I will use Benadryl (I have allergies, and it helps the most.  it knocks me out, so I only take it at night.  doesn't make my adult kids sleepy.)

 

 

[Alessandra]

I second the Benadryl. But I would check with doctor first if it hasn't been recommended before.

 

Light back runs also work for us.

 

Extra exercise and fresh air.

[fdrinca]

We travel cross-country a few times a year, and the most effective way we've found to reset the kids' clocks is a combination of all of the above: epsom salt baths, magnesium-rich foods, lots of daylight sun exposure (especially around noon), vigorous exercise, and 1/2 of the Trader Joe's brand melatonin tablet. It usually works within a day or two.

[Soror]

I started giving ds Magnesium (generic Natural Calm) as many are deficient in it, ds generally sleeps ok but has a hard time falling asleep he says. I've been drugging myself w/ benadryl and would consider that as a short term solution for this kids if needed.

[Farrar]

Okay, these are really good ideas.  Thanks, everyone!

 

Some of them we've tried.  He is getting exercise most days (he was outside for a good hour yesterday playing tag at the park with some neighborhood kids, for example) and we've been cuddling him to sleep and letting him in the big bed as well.  We've tried warm baths, which was usually a solid trick, but no luck.  He can't take benedryl, unfortunately.  Both my boys are kids who get wired in the middle of the night when they've had most common medicines and benedryl is the worst.

 

I didn't know about the magnesium rich foods thing.  I'll try that.  And the relaxation CD and maybe the homeopathic suggestions.

 

I'm glad to hear some people have done the melatonin without ill effects.  It really would be a one time (or once a year or whatever) thing for us if we did it.  While he has had some small bouts of insomnia before (he's infamous for not sleeping before exciting trips, for example), he's usually a pretty good sleeper.  I may call the pediatrician tomorrow and see what she says.

[Tiramisu]

I may be like your ds. I function much better on a very regular sleep schedule, if something messes that up, it can be hard to get into it a good rhythm again. I'll still wake up at the same time, so I wind up with sleep deprivation and feel yucky. After trying different natural things and finding everything made me feel weird in some way, I finally tried melatonin and wish I had years ago. No side effects at all. After taking it for awhile, I stopped and my sleep is still better.

 

Changing my blanket also made a huge difference.

 

If you go to a regular drug store, you may only find 3 or 5 milligrams, but natural stores should carry the liquid or a one milligram tablet. 

[wapiti]

We use Natural Calm magnesium, cherry flavor, for reasons other than sleep.  (One ds10 gets about 1/4 tsp and the other closer to 1/2 tsp; I'm still playing with doses - they may need more still.)  Some say it's better if it's a few hours before bedtime though I often forget to give it to them until bedtime.

 

For occasional melatonin, I give the big kids this spray, one spray under the tongue (there is per-spray dose info somewhere on the bottle).  It's hard to know whether it helps them, because I'm not them, though they do ask for it sometimes.  We do not do it every night.  (I have never given it to my younger kids.)  My ped suggested trying melatonin and didn't seem to have any worries about it.

 

I don't like melatonin tablets for myself - I end up with weird dreams and awake in the middle of the night.  I prefer these combination sleep tablets, though I have never given them to the kids (my boys don't swallow pills anyway and these are kinda large).  For me, these work very, very well - I take just one or two at bedtime (bottle says dose is four) when I've been having difficulty sleeping and I usually sleep all the way till morning.

 

I like Rescue Remedy sleep version once in a blue moon, though for me it seems to work best if I take it upon having difficulty returning to sleep in the night rather than taking it at bedtime to fall asleep.  My ds didn't like the taste (tastes like some sort of old-fashioned hard liquor, lol).

 

One of the PPs mentioned that it all depends on the cause of the insomnia, and that makes total sense to me.  My most troubled sleeper is on some significant asthma meds which I'm suspicious of but haven't found a way around yet; I might try the CD mentioned above, as anxiety/irritability/overtiredness seems to be a vicious cycle with him - this is a serious struggle with far-reaching affects (how can I afterschool math if he's irritable and tired, etc.) and I feel like I've tried everything though I'm sure I haven't.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

We've used melatonin with both kids with no problem. Our pediatrician suggested it. Just long enough to reset sleep cycle not every day.

[Soror]

We use Natural Calm magnesium, cherry flavor, for reasons other than sleep.  (One ds10 gets about 1/4 tsp and the other closer to 1/2 tsp; I'm still playing with doses - they may need more still.)  Some say it's better if it's a few hours before bedtime though I often forget to give it to them until bedtime.

 

For occasional melatonin, I give the big kids this spray, one spray under the tongue (there is per-spray dose info somewhere on the bottle).  It's hard to know whether it helps them, because I'm not them, though they do ask for it sometimes.  We do not do it every night.  (I have never given it to my younger kids.)  My ped suggested trying melatonin and didn't seem to have any worries about it.

 

I don't like melatonin tablets for myself - I end up with weird dreams and awake in the middle of the night.  I prefer these combination sleep tablets, though I have never given them to the kids (my boys don't swallow pills anyway and these are kinda large).  For me, these work very, very well - I take just one or two at bedtime (bottle says dose is four) when I've been having difficulty sleeping and I usually sleep all the way till morning.

 

I like Rescue Remedy sleep version once in a blue moon, though for me it seems to work best if I take it upon having difficulty returning to sleep in the night rather than taking it at bedtime to fall asleep.  My ds didn't like the taste (tastes like some sort of old-fashioned hard liquor, lol).

 

One of the PPs mentioned that it all depends on the cause of the insomnia, and that makes total sense to me.  My most troubled sleeper is on some significant asthma meds which I'm suspicious of but haven't found a way around yet; I might try the CD mentioned above, as anxiety/irritability/overtiredness seems to be a vicious cycle with him - this is a serious struggle with far-reaching affects (how can I afterschool math if he's irritable and tired, etc.) and I feel like I've tried everything though I'm sure I haven't.s 

Fwiw I'm giving ds 9/56lb 1 tsp mag w/ no ill effects. I'd been letting him share mine for a good while.

 

So, does the Rescue Remedy Sleep help you to fall  back asleep? That is generally where I struggle. I've been taking the Benadryl as of late as it works and it seems when I stop I'm not sleeping and at this point I'm desperate but I'd love something more natural.

[ondreeuh]

This is all good to know. My 3 kids all have varying degrees of sleep issues. On the extreme end, I have one kid who won't sleep, period, on his own. He has taken Clonidine for the past 6 or so years. It's not habit forming, but he CANNOT sleep without it. My 18 year old had subtle sleep issues that on their own didn't seem like a huge deal (took a long time to fall asleep, and had restless sleep), but were causing other issues to get worse. So she is now taking Clonidine as well, and it is definitely helping.

 

My 6 year old falls asleep within minutes (listening to a Simon & Garfunkel album every night for the past couple of years!). However, he thrashes and yells in his sleep regularly. He has started waking up super early, so I've tried moving his bedtime up to 7 pm, but then he just wakes up earlier. He is VERY moody and sleep seems to have a big part in that. Some days he will just be so "off" and the only thing different was that he got less/worse sleep.

 

Which of these "remedies" help with getting good quality sleep? As I said, getting to sleep is not a problem for my 6 year old. He needs more restful sleep.

 

[wapiti]

Fwiw I'm giving ds 9/56lb 1 tsp mag w/ no ill effects. I'd been letting him share mine for a good while.

 

So, does the Rescue Remedy Sleep help you to fall  back asleep? That is generally where I struggle. I've been taking the Benadryl as of late as it works and it seems when I stop I'm not sleeping and at this point I'm desperate but I'd love something more natural.

 

The Rescue Remedy Sleep seems pretty mild to me and will only work if I get up for something (e.g. the bathroom or one of the kids) and don't really fully wake up; it's just a nudge. It seems to me that it may be worth a try but how well it may work may depend on the night or on how quickly I take it before I start "thinking about stuff."

 

So far, the NutraSleep tablets seem to work the best for me for sleeping through the night, though I take them at bedtime.

[Rubix]

I use melatonin, on a semi-regular basis with both our kids.  The pediatrician is aware.  We are using the 2.5mg gummies.  It really makes a difference in them falling asleep quickly, or at midnight.... 

 

I hope you find something that works for you! 

[maize]

If it's just short term to try to help him reset I doubt melatonin would be harmful. We do Epsom salt baths around here. I also agree that Benedryl might be worth a try. I don't like using most things long term but if a night or three gets him back into a good sleep routine I would go for it.

[Corraleno]

The most effective OTC sleep aid I've found so far is Natural Balance Herbal Slumber. It's a blend of "Melatonin, Valerian extract, Hops extract, Chamomile extract, Licorice, Fennel, plus Magnesium as glycerinate." I've struggled with severe insomnia my entire life, and DS has significant sleep issues as well; Slumber has been by far the most effective supplement for both of us. I've also started listening to guided mediations at night, and the combination of the pills and the CD will knock me out in 20 minutes — compared to the 2-3 hours it usually takes me to fall asleep.

 

 

 

 

[Mommy22alyns]

The girls take melatonin.  I have severe sleep issues myself, so it's not that surprising that they have trouble sleeping too.

[MariannNOVA]

This is all good to know. My 3 kids all have varying degrees of sleep issues. On the extreme end, I have one kid who won't sleep, period, on his own. He has taken Clonidine for the past 6 or so years. It's not habit forming, but he CANNOT sleep without it. My 18 year old had subtle sleep issues that on their own didn't seem like a huge deal (took a long time to fall asleep, and had restless sleep), but were causing other issues to get worse. So she is now taking Clonidine as well, and it is definitely helping.

 

My 6 year old falls asleep within minutes (listening to a Simon & Garfunkel album every night for the past couple of years!). However, he thrashes and yells in his sleep regularly. He has started waking up super early, so I've tried moving his bedtime up to 7 pm, but then he just wakes up earlier. He is VERY moody and sleep seems to have a big part in that. Some days he will just be so "off" and the only thing different was that he got less/worse sleep.

 

Which of these "remedies" help with getting good quality sleep? As I said, getting to sleep is not a problem for my 6 year old. He needs more restful sleep.

We use Clonidine here. I don't know what we would do without it.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I regularly take melatonin and it helps....ds 11 takes it sometimes and it helps....definitely wouldn't hurt for just a few days....I'd go with the lowest dose and see how that goes.....we use the liquid drops but have used the melts that I found in a local pharmacy-but the stopped carrying them so I had to find it online...

[ondreeuh]

We use Clonidine here. I don't know what we would do without it.

 

Have you ever tried to wean off or quit it? A couple of time I have done a little experiment to see if he can sleep without it .. he was desperate to sleep, but couldn't. I now have a little emergency stockpile in case the pharmacy can't fill it in time. It does seem to affect his circulation a little bit, but his cardiologist is unconcerned. All of his doctors agree that sleep is so important, it's worth a little mottled skin. 

 

This year we bumped up from 0.1 mg to 0.3 mg. He was waking me up at 2 AM and I was giving him some diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to knock him out.