Help my little boy sleep!
May 4, 2010 9:02 PM Subscribe
Help my little boy sleep! My 4 year old has never been a great sleeper, but this is ridiculous.
He used to conk out about 9:30; now it's up to 11:30 or even midnight. Nothing has changed that we know of. We've since tried altering his routine now to be more organized, quieter (no TV, quiet house at bedtime, no Mom or Dad snuggling for more than a few minutes as he thinks that means Time to Play) and put him to bed earlier. He's happy with all the extra attention before bedtime, reads quietly and talks to himself in his bed, but...he's not sleeping enough. Though once he *is* asleep, he's out hard and seldom wakes up.
And in the morning, since he's only getting 7 or 8 hours instead of the 10 he needs, he's a bear. I can't alter his schedule to let him sleep in without seriously disrupting mine and my husband's work schedules.
He hasn't napped since he was two, though the last few days the preschool teacher says he conks out for a little while at naptime. It doesn't seem to help though.
Parents: is this a phase we should just ride out? Or do we have a serious problem?
He used to conk out about 9:30; now it's up to 11:30 or even midnight. Nothing has changed that we know of. We've since tried altering his routine now to be more organized, quieter (no TV, quiet house at bedtime, no Mom or Dad snuggling for more than a few minutes as he thinks that means Time to Play) and put him to bed earlier. He's happy with all the extra attention before bedtime, reads quietly and talks to himself in his bed, but...he's not sleeping enough. Though once he *is* asleep, he's out hard and seldom wakes up.
And in the morning, since he's only getting 7 or 8 hours instead of the 10 he needs, he's a bear. I can't alter his schedule to let him sleep in without seriously disrupting mine and my husband's work schedules.
He hasn't napped since he was two, though the last few days the preschool teacher says he conks out for a little while at naptime. It doesn't seem to help though.
Parents: is this a phase we should just ride out? Or do we have a serious problem?
This was me as a kid. My parents never could get me to go to bed until I was good and ready, and I also stopped napping young. Could be a phase, might be permanent. I eventually started going to bed at a normal time and waking up at 5am instead. No idea whether that would be preferable to you, but I think there are just some kids who hate to sleep. I was one of them. Not sure why - I love it now. Wish I could get more.
I think part of it was that I always suspected all sorts of fun stuff happened after I went to bed, and I didn't want to miss it. So be very, very boring - maybe start going to bed at the same time he does and acting asleep and un-wakeable so he knows you guys aren't partying it up without him. Also, I had a lot of fears, and going to bed gave me time to dwell on them. So maybe talk to him about what he thinks about when he's going to sleep, although I think I probably would not have told my parents my fears so maybe this will be fruitless. They also gave me a tape recorder so I could tell stories and record them, which I bet gave them tons of insights into what I was worried about and also got me out of their hair while I refused to sleep. Finally, I had a lot of trouble staying asleep, and still do. You say that's not a problem for your little guy, but to me, getting to sleep felt like a ton of boring time lying around, and then once I finally conked out I'd hear a noise and start the whole process over again. Tedious. Still tedious at 25, probably will be tedious for my whole life.
I suspect that my sleepless childhood was the primary cause of my very, very short stature compared to my parents, but other than that I don't think it did me any harm. I have always had visual hallucinations when I was really lacking for sleep, from young childhood, so if he starts talking about animals in his room...well, he probably won't have that problem, I think that's just me :) I think you're doing everything I would recommend, though. Make it abundantly clear that just because he's up doesn't mean he gets to have any fun, and make sure if there's anything worrying him that you can help with, you help with it.
I'm interested to see other responses because I very much expect that I will have at least one child who won't go to bed.
posted by little light-giver at 9:26 PM on May 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think part of it was that I always suspected all sorts of fun stuff happened after I went to bed, and I didn't want to miss it. So be very, very boring - maybe start going to bed at the same time he does and acting asleep and un-wakeable so he knows you guys aren't partying it up without him. Also, I had a lot of fears, and going to bed gave me time to dwell on them. So maybe talk to him about what he thinks about when he's going to sleep, although I think I probably would not have told my parents my fears so maybe this will be fruitless. They also gave me a tape recorder so I could tell stories and record them, which I bet gave them tons of insights into what I was worried about and also got me out of their hair while I refused to sleep. Finally, I had a lot of trouble staying asleep, and still do. You say that's not a problem for your little guy, but to me, getting to sleep felt like a ton of boring time lying around, and then once I finally conked out I'd hear a noise and start the whole process over again. Tedious. Still tedious at 25, probably will be tedious for my whole life.
I suspect that my sleepless childhood was the primary cause of my very, very short stature compared to my parents, but other than that I don't think it did me any harm. I have always had visual hallucinations when I was really lacking for sleep, from young childhood, so if he starts talking about animals in his room...well, he probably won't have that problem, I think that's just me :) I think you're doing everything I would recommend, though. Make it abundantly clear that just because he's up doesn't mean he gets to have any fun, and make sure if there's anything worrying him that you can help with, you help with it.
I'm interested to see other responses because I very much expect that I will have at least one child who won't go to bed.
posted by little light-giver at 9:26 PM on May 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
You can try 1 to 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime (there's also a time release version, but you probably don't need it). This comes in liquid, chewable/sublingual, and tablet form. This helps my kids drop off. Once sleep patterns are established you may find you don't need them anymore.
posted by kch at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2010
posted by kch at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2010
What is your work schedule like? When do you get home from work, and how much time do you get to spend with your child in the evening?
posted by KokuRyu at 10:14 PM on May 4, 2010
posted by KokuRyu at 10:14 PM on May 4, 2010
The weird thing is the sudden schedule change. And he's obviously tired if he's like a rock once he finally drops off. It might be just a phase.
I wonder what the kids at daycare have been telling him, though...is there a reason he's forcing himself to stay awake longer?
How long has this been going on?
posted by desuetude at 10:18 PM on May 4, 2010
I wonder what the kids at daycare have been telling him, though...is there a reason he's forcing himself to stay awake longer?
How long has this been going on?
posted by desuetude at 10:18 PM on May 4, 2010
I slept very rarely as a baby (1 - 3 hrs/night), and then only slightly more as a toddler/child (2 - 5 hrs/night), and sometimes my body needed more sleep and I got 5 - 8 hrs on a weekend. Even now as a grown-ass adult, it's pretty rare for me to get more than four hours of sleep at one sleeping (and my sleep schedule has a pretty recognizable ~40 day cycle). The only time I am able to lie down and sleep at night and then wake up in the morning having slept for 6 - 8 hours is with medication. I've been to many doctors, and have been told over and over that it's just how my body works and there's nothing they can do. (Frustrating, annoying, and I am quite skeptical that there's nothing to be done. But until I get health insurance that will support a sleep study or five, Ambien and Klonopin/Xanax/Ativan are my very good friends.)
Things that never worked for me include: warm milk or tea before going to sleep, eating before bed, not eating before bed, getting on a schedule, using my bed only for sleeping, exercising for a half hour about two hours before bedtime, taking naps, not taking naps, sleeping in a totally dark room, using a sleep mask, sleeping with noise (music, television), sleeping with a noise machine, sleeping in total silence with ear plugs, meditation, visualization, melatonin, Lunesta, various antidepressants and antipsychotics, having attention paid to me, being ignored, bribes.
The worst part of trying many of these was that I was very young and my parents' disappointment when the next "miracle cure" didn't work was pretty palpable and affected me very negatively. I suggest that you make sure your kid doesn't think you think there's something wrong with him that makes him lesser or irritating to you.
His body may eventually adjust to thinking it needs less sleep. Alternately: exercise. An hour-long gymnastics, figure skating, or martial arts class (something that involves the whole body moving constantly for at least 20 minutes at each stretch) several times during the week can really help. It's what my parents did with me when I was growing up, and while I didn't sleep more, it was easier for me to fall asleep at night.
Also... have you spoken to his pediatrician? His body may be reacting to something in its environment. It may be a new allergy affecting him weirdly (this year's pollen count is particularly high; children can develop allergies and sensitivities suddenly, etc.).
posted by shamash at 10:52 PM on May 4, 2010
Things that never worked for me include: warm milk or tea before going to sleep, eating before bed, not eating before bed, getting on a schedule, using my bed only for sleeping, exercising for a half hour about two hours before bedtime, taking naps, not taking naps, sleeping in a totally dark room, using a sleep mask, sleeping with noise (music, television), sleeping with a noise machine, sleeping in total silence with ear plugs, meditation, visualization, melatonin, Lunesta, various antidepressants and antipsychotics, having attention paid to me, being ignored, bribes.
The worst part of trying many of these was that I was very young and my parents' disappointment when the next "miracle cure" didn't work was pretty palpable and affected me very negatively. I suggest that you make sure your kid doesn't think you think there's something wrong with him that makes him lesser or irritating to you.
His body may eventually adjust to thinking it needs less sleep. Alternately: exercise. An hour-long gymnastics, figure skating, or martial arts class (something that involves the whole body moving constantly for at least 20 minutes at each stretch) several times during the week can really help. It's what my parents did with me when I was growing up, and while I didn't sleep more, it was easier for me to fall asleep at night.
Also... have you spoken to his pediatrician? His body may be reacting to something in its environment. It may be a new allergy affecting him weirdly (this year's pollen count is particularly high; children can develop allergies and sensitivities suddenly, etc.).
posted by shamash at 10:52 PM on May 4, 2010
Avoid sugary things and chocolate in the evening. TV can be okay, but it needs to be something your son finds boring enough to avoid stimulation but interesting enough that he won't complain about it. I'm a big fan of nature shows for these reasons (and others).
Get some (more) physical activity going in the daytime. Swimming, running around, martial arts, sports, or anything that burns a lot of energy.
Enforce the getting-up time no matter how late he gets to bed. Make sure he gets sunlight in his bedroom. It's easier to get people up on time than to get them to sleep on time, and if they don't get enough sleep it'll be easier to get them to go to sleep. The first few days of this will be hard though as they'll be in a terrible mood.
We went through similar issues with our daughter when she was around 4. She's naturally a night person.
One thing that helped was to combine all the above on a weekend to jump start the process. We took her to an amusement park on one day (lost of walking, excitement and sun), took her to the beach the next (lots of running around, walking and sun), and made sure she got up at a good time each morning. By Monday the rhythm was established and she was set for a while.
It still requires some prodding to get her in bed at a regular time, and there are still nights when she's in bed but can't sleep. She's seven now. It comes and goes but it's less of an issue.
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 11:03 PM on May 4, 2010
Get some (more) physical activity going in the daytime. Swimming, running around, martial arts, sports, or anything that burns a lot of energy.
Enforce the getting-up time no matter how late he gets to bed. Make sure he gets sunlight in his bedroom. It's easier to get people up on time than to get them to sleep on time, and if they don't get enough sleep it'll be easier to get them to go to sleep. The first few days of this will be hard though as they'll be in a terrible mood.
We went through similar issues with our daughter when she was around 4. She's naturally a night person.
One thing that helped was to combine all the above on a weekend to jump start the process. We took her to an amusement park on one day (lost of walking, excitement and sun), took her to the beach the next (lots of running around, walking and sun), and made sure she got up at a good time each morning. By Monday the rhythm was established and she was set for a while.
It still requires some prodding to get her in bed at a regular time, and there are still nights when she's in bed but can't sleep. She's seven now. It comes and goes but it's less of an issue.
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 11:03 PM on May 4, 2010
I forgot: When waking up in the morning after way too little sleep, the most helpful thing I've found to put me in a good mood and get me going is to immediately drink a full glass of water to rehydrate and then get my body moving, whether it's just some stretches, or running through yoga positions, or jumping jacks. That might help fight off the bearish tendency lack of sleep can cause.
posted by shamash at 11:10 PM on May 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by shamash at 11:10 PM on May 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
What time is he dropping off during nap time at preschool, and what time is he waking up? You may be in a self-perpetuating loop, where he's napping enough during the day to not be sleepy at bedtime, but then he's tired the next day, so he naps again, and then isn't sleepy at bedtime, etc, etc.
This is what was happening with us - my 3-year-old wouldn't even consider going to sleep at a decent hour, and it turned out that he wasn't waking up from nap at preschool until 4 or 4:30. I talked to his teachers, and it turned out that several families were having the same issue. They shifted the routine so that waking up began at 3, with the kids up by 3:30. It made a HUGE difference at bedtime.
So make sure he's not napping - even cat-napping - too late in the day. Say, not past 3. It seems like a small thing, but it might be the thing that is screwing up the works.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:19 PM on May 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is what was happening with us - my 3-year-old wouldn't even consider going to sleep at a decent hour, and it turned out that he wasn't waking up from nap at preschool until 4 or 4:30. I talked to his teachers, and it turned out that several families were having the same issue. They shifted the routine so that waking up began at 3, with the kids up by 3:30. It made a HUGE difference at bedtime.
So make sure he's not napping - even cat-napping - too late in the day. Say, not past 3. It seems like a small thing, but it might be the thing that is screwing up the works.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:19 PM on May 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
Take him outside and make him run around. Some good games are "statues" and plain old "tag." Fresh air, exhaustion, and a good dinner should do it, unless he's like the posters above and me, who had so many anxieties that I would stay up until dawn to make sure that everything was ok before I got some sleep. (I'm sure that's why I'm short too).
Have you tried letting him sleep with you?
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:00 AM on May 5, 2010
Have you tried letting him sleep with you?
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:00 AM on May 5, 2010
Oh, yeah, I think that it's a great idea to put him to bed earlier. Even if he manages to stay up for a couple of hours past a 7 O'clock bedtime, he's still getting more sleep than he did before.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:03 AM on May 5, 2010
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:03 AM on May 5, 2010
My experience so far is that it's probably a phase, only to be replaced by different weirdness when it blows over. I'd try to avoid letting him sleep with you, I found that it is really really hard to reverse that habit. No downright practical advice, but some recent observations on the kids' sleeping habits:
I have a (nearly) 4yo boy who goes to sleep w/o any complaints at 8 but wakes up 6 am at the latest -- judging from his moods he could actually use more sleep. We let him nap for an hour around noon if he seems to need it. But like others have noted, he actually sleeps later and better if he's put to bed earlier (current target is 7), the day has been physically active, with lots of outdoors playing, and tapers off towards bedtime smoothly. This kind of adjustments require some flexibility and daily customization, not sure if we could pull this off with a daily preschool schedule.
Now our daughter (20 mo) is a different kitty: we appear to be settling in a pattern where she won't fall asleep on her own, her frequently staying awake until 9:30 or so (which I find way too late, for her and for my precious quiet evening hours). She'll fall asleep in my lap, or in our bed. Not cool w/ me. The next morning she sleeps past 8 am if left alone, but is usually woken a lot earlier by her brother, causing her to need a long nap, which again quenches any desire to sleep by bedtime. We're trying to let her nap no longer than an hour or slightly more just after lunch, take her outdoors for a good chunk of time after, and make a habit of sleeping early. Mixed results.
Good luck!
posted by gijsvs at 3:16 AM on May 5, 2010
I have a (nearly) 4yo boy who goes to sleep w/o any complaints at 8 but wakes up 6 am at the latest -- judging from his moods he could actually use more sleep. We let him nap for an hour around noon if he seems to need it. But like others have noted, he actually sleeps later and better if he's put to bed earlier (current target is 7), the day has been physically active, with lots of outdoors playing, and tapers off towards bedtime smoothly. This kind of adjustments require some flexibility and daily customization, not sure if we could pull this off with a daily preschool schedule.
Now our daughter (20 mo) is a different kitty: we appear to be settling in a pattern where she won't fall asleep on her own, her frequently staying awake until 9:30 or so (which I find way too late, for her and for my precious quiet evening hours). She'll fall asleep in my lap, or in our bed. Not cool w/ me. The next morning she sleeps past 8 am if left alone, but is usually woken a lot earlier by her brother, causing her to need a long nap, which again quenches any desire to sleep by bedtime. We're trying to let her nap no longer than an hour or slightly more just after lunch, take her outdoors for a good chunk of time after, and make a habit of sleeping early. Mixed results.
Good luck!
posted by gijsvs at 3:16 AM on May 5, 2010
Things that work for my son, who has always had a difficult time falling asleep:
-white noise in the room. We use a standard table fan.
-relaxation techniques. My son's involves him tensing every major muscle group one at a time, holding for a few seconds, and then releasing while taking a deep breath in and out.
-light-blocking shades on his windows along with dark-colored drapes over the shades.
-regular exercise.
All these things together make a huge difference in his sleep.
Good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 5:19 AM on May 5, 2010
-white noise in the room. We use a standard table fan.
-relaxation techniques. My son's involves him tensing every major muscle group one at a time, holding for a few seconds, and then releasing while taking a deep breath in and out.
-light-blocking shades on his windows along with dark-colored drapes over the shades.
-regular exercise.
All these things together make a huge difference in his sleep.
Good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 5:19 AM on May 5, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm; well it looks like we're trying most of what you all are recommending:
--we moved bedtime back to 7:30 (we get home at 6:15, so that's as early as it can go)
--No TV on weeknights
--it's dark by the time he's in bed (though as summer progresses, we may need darker shades)
--exercise; he gets lots on the weekends with us, and he's supposedly getting at least some at school with two recesses/other activities a day, unless it's raining. Exercise after school would cut into bedtime.
--wake up; right now we've been going in a little late and getting him up at 8; getting up by 7:30 would be ideal for our schedule. I was reluctant to push that back and cut into what sleep he's getting, since I did so earlier this week and he got sent to the office twice that day.
--white noise from fan--he gets up and plays with the fan
--soft radio music--he protests turning it on and gets up and turns it off.
One issue he's having now is that while hall lighting was fine until last week, suddenly the (bright) bedside lamp Must Be On. Which certainly doesn't help him sleep, but I've debated whether the screaming is worth forcing the issue, especially if he's scared. But he's expressed no particular fears, so I'm starting to think this is about control. We may just get rid of the damned lamp for a while.
Sleeping with us keeps him awake, and is no fun for us either.
kch, is melatonin (which I use) safe for little kids? I read not.
So I think what we'll do is keep him on schedule during the weekends (which we had not been doing), get rid of the light, maybe try melatonin, check into his napping schedule, check into if he's eating a lot of sugar at school (he's not at home) maybe get some shades, and tough it out for a bit.
If none of that works, we'll talk to a pediatrician, I guess.
posted by emjaybee at 6:04 AM on May 5, 2010
--we moved bedtime back to 7:30 (we get home at 6:15, so that's as early as it can go)
--No TV on weeknights
--it's dark by the time he's in bed (though as summer progresses, we may need darker shades)
--exercise; he gets lots on the weekends with us, and he's supposedly getting at least some at school with two recesses/other activities a day, unless it's raining. Exercise after school would cut into bedtime.
--wake up; right now we've been going in a little late and getting him up at 8; getting up by 7:30 would be ideal for our schedule. I was reluctant to push that back and cut into what sleep he's getting, since I did so earlier this week and he got sent to the office twice that day.
--white noise from fan--he gets up and plays with the fan
--soft radio music--he protests turning it on and gets up and turns it off.
One issue he's having now is that while hall lighting was fine until last week, suddenly the (bright) bedside lamp Must Be On. Which certainly doesn't help him sleep, but I've debated whether the screaming is worth forcing the issue, especially if he's scared. But he's expressed no particular fears, so I'm starting to think this is about control. We may just get rid of the damned lamp for a while.
Sleeping with us keeps him awake, and is no fun for us either.
kch, is melatonin (which I use) safe for little kids? I read not.
So I think what we'll do is keep him on schedule during the weekends (which we had not been doing), get rid of the light, maybe try melatonin, check into his napping schedule, check into if he's eating a lot of sugar at school (he's not at home) maybe get some shades, and tough it out for a bit.
If none of that works, we'll talk to a pediatrician, I guess.
posted by emjaybee at 6:04 AM on May 5, 2010
Hal C I've had success with this method too. Putting our kids to bed around 7:30 they go out and are out until morning. Wait until 8:30-9:30 and it's up and down up and down and up and down. I think they are really ready by 7:30 but if you keep them up past they, that second wind kicks in and keeps them up.
posted by ExitPursuedByBear at 6:33 AM on May 5, 2010
posted by ExitPursuedByBear at 6:33 AM on May 5, 2010
Any red hair in the family? Our nerves tend to run a bit differently than other folks. If I don't wear thick enough clothing before bed I get this burning hot feeling when I get in and generate heat like mad. Too thick and I'll be so hot I strip the sheets off the bed and then get too cold. It's been hell as long as I can remember but as a kid I never realized it was abnormal. I just thought I was too hot or too cold and wrestled with that all night, getting tangled in the sheets and such.
Eventually I figured out what works for me is those pants doctors and nurses use, for summer, and in the winter it's those plus thermals. Regular t-shirt up top, 1 blanket, sheet, and comforter on the bed for winter, subtract the blanket for summer. The change in seasons is hell, but there's not much that can be done about that.
There's more on the temp issue here (self link since I can't link to the research directly). For redheads there the recent Mythbusters show and this blessed journal article, summarized here, but the issue's a minefield of different opinions and studies. It's getting a little ridiculous.
posted by jwells at 6:44 AM on May 5, 2010
Eventually I figured out what works for me is those pants doctors and nurses use, for summer, and in the winter it's those plus thermals. Regular t-shirt up top, 1 blanket, sheet, and comforter on the bed for winter, subtract the blanket for summer. The change in seasons is hell, but there's not much that can be done about that.
There's more on the temp issue here (self link since I can't link to the research directly). For redheads there the recent Mythbusters show and this blessed journal article, summarized here, but the issue's a minefield of different opinions and studies. It's getting a little ridiculous.
posted by jwells at 6:44 AM on May 5, 2010
emjaybee, I did read your note. A couple of things:
- In our family, we solved this problem by taking a small walk after dinner (not far, just around the block) and then sitting on the sofa/on the porch (depending on the weather) and watching the sun go down. (I hear you on the summer thing, though) You note that "exercise after school would cut into bedtime" but if he's not falling asleep until 11:30 or midnight, moving bedtime back half an hour to accommodate some after-dinner exercise wouldn't be a bad trade. He'd still be getting more sleep than he does now.
- The lamp issue could be solved by a flashlight. We got our (3 1/2 year old) son a wind up flashlight - it is a toy for a while, but now he plays for about five or ten minutes. The novelty has worn off.
- I also co-sleep with my son, and go to bed at the same time he does most nights (or at least change into PJs with him and sneak downstairs after he's asleep). It does help him to be quiet and fall asleep if he knows Mamma is trying to sleep. (YMMV on that one)
posted by anastasiav at 7:37 AM on May 5, 2010
- In our family, we solved this problem by taking a small walk after dinner (not far, just around the block) and then sitting on the sofa/on the porch (depending on the weather) and watching the sun go down. (I hear you on the summer thing, though) You note that "exercise after school would cut into bedtime" but if he's not falling asleep until 11:30 or midnight, moving bedtime back half an hour to accommodate some after-dinner exercise wouldn't be a bad trade. He'd still be getting more sleep than he does now.
- The lamp issue could be solved by a flashlight. We got our (3 1/2 year old) son a wind up flashlight - it is a toy for a while, but now he plays for about five or ten minutes. The novelty has worn off.
- I also co-sleep with my son, and go to bed at the same time he does most nights (or at least change into PJs with him and sneak downstairs after he's asleep). It does help him to be quiet and fall asleep if he knows Mamma is trying to sleep. (YMMV on that one)
posted by anastasiav at 7:37 AM on May 5, 2010
Is melatonin safe for kids? I've had two MDs, and various other paraprofessionals recommend it for us, and although they are older now, my kids were 4 when this advice was given. I also know other parents that use melatonin for their 3 or 4 yr olds. Obviously, you start with 1 mg. and see how it goes, and raise it up gradually if needed up to 3 mg.
I have one friend that saves it for critical days where the impact of not enough sleep is going to be significant.
You seem to be trying everything else that is generally recommended, so if you feel comfortable with it, you might give it a trial. At least then you'll know whether it works for your son. You could also ask a naturopath. Again, we found that a while with melatonin that sleep schedules settled down, and we didn't need it as much.
posted by kch at 7:46 AM on May 5, 2010
I have one friend that saves it for critical days where the impact of not enough sleep is going to be significant.
You seem to be trying everything else that is generally recommended, so if you feel comfortable with it, you might give it a trial. At least then you'll know whether it works for your son. You could also ask a naturopath. Again, we found that a while with melatonin that sleep schedules settled down, and we didn't need it as much.
posted by kch at 7:46 AM on May 5, 2010
Melatonin, mentioned already, was a godsend for our oldest son. For him, part of having trouble falling asleep was that the transition was hard for him, and he often had "whirring brain" syndrome, not being able to stop thinking so he could drop off. Melatonin seems to help him make the transition.
Is melatonin safe for kids? I've had two MDs, and various other paraprofessionals recommend it for us, and although they are older now, my kids were 4 when this advice was given.
Melatonin is apparently commonly used for kids with ADHD or autism spectrum disorders, and when I was looking into its safety recently I found reports of studies of kids in those populations that found it was safe even for long-term use.
posted by not that girl at 8:34 AM on May 5, 2010
Is melatonin safe for kids? I've had two MDs, and various other paraprofessionals recommend it for us, and although they are older now, my kids were 4 when this advice was given.
Melatonin is apparently commonly used for kids with ADHD or autism spectrum disorders, and when I was looking into its safety recently I found reports of studies of kids in those populations that found it was safe even for long-term use.
posted by not that girl at 8:34 AM on May 5, 2010
no Mom or Dad snuggling for more than a few minutes as he thinks that means Time to Play)
what? that's gotta change. snuggle with him 'til he sleeps - read to him, or maybe both listen to music, staring at the ceiling, holding hands. :)
posted by at at 9:59 AM on May 5, 2010
what? that's gotta change. snuggle with him 'til he sleeps - read to him, or maybe both listen to music, staring at the ceiling, holding hands. :)
posted by at at 9:59 AM on May 5, 2010
Response by poster: snuggle with him 'til he sleeps - read to him, or maybe both listen to music, staring at the ceiling, holding hands. :)
at, yeah, we've tried that. As with co-sleeping it just Did Not Work. He gets stimulated, starts jumping around, climbing and getting excited, even if you lay there like a dead fish.
(and I was Very Sad when we had to get him a crib at 2 months, I wanted to co-sleep! He had other ideas.)
thanks all for your ideas. He was better last night, though we didn't do much that was different except No TV and eating dinner together. Still not getting quite enough, but more than he was.
posted by emjaybee at 7:46 AM on May 6, 2010
at, yeah, we've tried that. As with co-sleeping it just Did Not Work. He gets stimulated, starts jumping around, climbing and getting excited, even if you lay there like a dead fish.
(and I was Very Sad when we had to get him a crib at 2 months, I wanted to co-sleep! He had other ideas.)
thanks all for your ideas. He was better last night, though we didn't do much that was different except No TV and eating dinner together. Still not getting quite enough, but more than he was.
posted by emjaybee at 7:46 AM on May 6, 2010
You say he's not getting to sleep until 11:30 or midnight, but what is he doing between bedtime and that time? Just lying there, or tossing and turning? Or is he protesting or repeatedly emerging from his room, or...?
posted by werkzeuger at 1:19 PM on May 6, 2010
posted by werkzeuger at 1:19 PM on May 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:19 PM on May 4, 2010 [3 favorites]