Thanks. I'm going to talk to the oed about melatonin. I'm hoping things settle down as school starts and that might help as well. We have been between houses this summer so our schedule has been mayhem, and I know that's only adding to the problem.
Thanks. I'm going to talk to the oed about melatonin. I'm hoping things settle down as school starts and that might help as well. We have been between houses this summer so our schedule has been mayhem, and I know that's only adding to the problem.
Mom to a spirited, red-headed, former 28-weeker 10/2009 and a more mellow monkey 12/2013.
A routine definitely helps. Summer is hard. And after vacations, it takes her 1-2 weeks to get back on her regular schedule.
Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)
When we went to WDW, we scheduled our day to get as much activity done in the AM, have a nap back in our room, and go back to the park in the PM. It meant we missed my sister & her family on a lot of days, since they were usually arriving at the park shortly before we were leaving for nap time, and they were leaving when we were returning! But those days were the best days for us, as a family - they were the smoothest days. The one day we stayed in the park the entire day, July 4, left us all a little frazzled.
I don't worry about whether DS is awake/asleep at 10, so much as that he's in bed at bedtime. If I hear him playing or singing in his room, or transforming the one toy he gets to take to bed (he usually picks a rescuebot or switch-and-go dinocar), then I will say something. Routines are super important. For us, its that DS has the opportunity to rest/sleep that is important. Quiet dark room, sometimes with music (we let him choose, but its the same classical music CD), and just one toy to bed. The same time every day. Kiss and hug, brief conversation, heart to heart chat if appropriate, and then we say night night and leave.
DS has tried fighting bed times and nap times. He'd say he can't sleep, or he's not sleepy, or whatever. Broken record is the best way to respond. I'd respond "Ok just lay down then", or "Just rest then, just for a little bit". He doesn't like it but he doesn't have an argument for it. I'd peek in 30 min or so later and more often than not, he's passed out. Or, "it's your bedtime". "That's too bad, because it's your bedtime". DS wants to play with something? "Ok, you can play with it tomorrow, but it's your bedtime right now". We'll point out the time on the clock, and he can't argue with the clock. I can only remember a couple of instances where he stayed awake the entire nap period, and that's ok. At least it was quiet time - for both of us.
DS decided he was afraid of the dark, of monsters. I asked him point blank whether he was actually afraid, or whether he was just saying that because he didn't want to go to sleep. Eventually, he told me that he just didn't want to go to sleep, and that he wasn't actually afraid. I pointed out that Batman likes the dark a lot, since he's a batman fan, and that Pikachu is a monster. Sometimes I tell him what we are doing the next day, as a reason that he needs to go to bed promptly. Sometimes I don't. If its school or a class, I'll tell him. If its something exciting, that I think will keep him up, I don't tell him until the next day.
I don't do melatonin. I used to use it personally, stopped during pregnancy and slept horribly, and started again after I stopped BF'ing. And then I developed a high tolerance for it, and it no longer works for me. A friend told me it's banned or controlled in Germany or something, since it is a hormone. The fact that you can't take it during pregnancy makes me a little wary of giving it to DS. I'd probably pick it over another sleep aid for DS if I had to.
Also, we don't do OJ in the afternoon/evening, since it has caffeine. DS is not allowed to have other forms of caffeine (soda/tea). We also try to avoid giving him sugar/candy in the evenings. We will tell him why, briefly, if he asks. Fortunately, he dislikes chocolate.
As a tangent, I started saying "calm down" and "relax" to him at an early age - to the extent that when I threw fake temper tantrums as a joke, he'd put a gentle hand on *my* shoulder and tell me "calm down mama, calm down".
tldr: Routine, repetition, broken record. Aim for down time/ unwinding / quiet time.
DS - Dec 2008
DS1 has really severe ADHD with the hyperactive component. But he sleeps a lot. I think this may be related to his type 1 diabetes. I know when his blood sugars are less than ideal (and they are very hard to keep stable during childhood) he has a hard time getting enough rest even when he sleeps a very long stretch!
Prior to diabetes diagnosis (age almost 3), he was a fair sleeper. We ended up doing CIO when he was 11 mo. It broke my heart but other methods just didn't work. From that time forward, he's slept quite well at night. He was always a sporadic napper. If he sleep schedule DOES get out of whack for some reason, then it does take WEEKS to get back on track. Still. We're working on getting back in order now that school is about to start.
Hmmm, I did a google and didn't find anything either. It was my chef hubs who told me. He showed me on a store-bought OJ bottle (orange juice not orange soda), so maybe it's something certain manufacturers add? I started avoiding OJ for myself at night and noticed an easier time getting to sleep, but it could be all the sugar.
DS - Dec 2008
Mama to :
DS1 (July 2011)
DD (Feb 2014-June 2015)
DS2 (Apr 2017)
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it."
--Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Actually, poor sleeping was one of our first symptoms in retrospect but sleeping problems alone probably don't indicate diabetes. The other things to look for are excessive thirst and excess urine output. Also a "fruity smell" to the breath. A doctor can confirm a diagnosis. If I was local, I'd offer to "check" his blood sugar with a glucometer. I don't think you can get an official diagnosis from a home glucometer but I sometimes check my other kids and a normal BG gives me a lot of peace of mind. But definitely check with your ped. if you are worried!
Mama to three boys ('03, '05, '07)
I think less sleep makes DS worse too. He can sleep like a rock and forever. He's always been my sleeper. 12 hours a night by 3 months old. He's the one who will sleep until 10 or so on the weekend if I don't get him up. If he doesn't get enough, he's even more unfocused.
Mama to my boys (04,07,11)