Monday 28 March 2011

We are getting quite desperate.

Oh there have been many sleepless nights in this house. And it is not because of the youngest member of our family, nope, it's all down to the fact that Zack now keeps the hours of a student.


We are having real big problems getting him to sleep. Once he is asleep then all is well and he will sleep through the night, but of late he will not go to sleep at all.  We really don't know what to do with this one. He is closing his eyes and looks like he is drifting off but then starts getting upset, howling, crying, sobbing and being extra tense and grabby. Eventually when he does go to sleep, he will just drop into a deep sleep and you can get him in bed. But the times of night have varied from 11.30pm to four in the flipping morning. 


We have tried drugs, (Melatonin), to help him drift off. Does not work one dot with him. We have tried leaving him crying, does not work. Makes him more stressed and eventually he is still awake, in bed, at 3am. 


Dan is off to a sleep seminar tomorrow evening to try and get some advice. I just keep thinking it will be filled with other parents who look like they have been dragged through a hedge backwards. Maybe they will use the time to catch up on the sleep they have lost. 


We are also contacting the neurologist to see if he can offer some advice. I know a lot of parents with children with special needs are affected by lack of sleep but if anyone has a magic cure please feel free to leave a comment. We are getting quite desperate.


On top of a new baby to look after (who is being as good as gold, although I think she is saving all the naughtiness up for another time) Zack hasn't been too good. He has a small case of a tummy bug, which means he has been a bit off colour and not really himself. He was better today, we managed to do his therapy, go for a walk and have a bit of play time. Plus he was smiling lots which means he is getting back to normal.


Other news is the seizures have been creeping up again. We are upping his medication as he is still on a low dose but all this takes time. His new crunchy up seizure, where he looks like he is trying to sit up and then gently relaxes backwards with a few seconds of unconsciousness are perhaps, according to the neurologist, spasms. He did used to suffer with stomach spasms a lot so it makes sense to me. He was having quite a few of these but they seem to have lessened slightly. 


Oh yes, it is all fun and games at the moment. A passing phase I hope, it usually is, well that's what I keep telling myself.

4 comments:

Claire said...

It's a tough one, our little guy tends to wake alot if he hasn't had enough to eat during the day. Some things I have tried or read about other people trying are soothing music on low vol like classic FM for babies (brahms lullaby makes my little one laugh every time even in the midst of tantrum, beats the crying and calms him for sleep though), moving lights like the little disco lamps, bathing in Epsom salts is supposed to help relax muscles, I hope you find something that helps or that the phase passes quickly.
Claire

Anonymous said...

Good luck -- lack of sleep is so, so hard on the kids AND the parents!

Ruth Ellen Drake said...

I know that medicating your child to help them sleep feels bad but believe me Linzi we have been where you are and I think I would have gone crazy had our wonderful, amazing Neurologist not prescribed Chloral Hydrate. Melatonin did not touch Elin either, Chloral is the only thing that has ever worked. It's one of the oldest medicines on the market and also the safest. It's so old that Neuro's dont often think of it- I recommended it to a SEN Mum in America and her Neuro had never considered it- he prescribed it and hey presto her life was changed. It sounds like Zak would not even need a big dose, just a small one to help him 'get off' to sleep. Without this medicine I swear I never would have been able to get back to work, or function in general! Might be worth asking your Neuro. Tell him how bad it is- you can't live on so little sleep, it's impossible. In the meantime I hope he does a little better! Heaps of love xx

n said...

Thanks for the comments. Yes I have heard of Chloral Hydrate and still waiting on neurologist to get back in touch so we can ask about it too. It might just be the thing to help although at the moment we are trying a leave to cry technique. See latest post!!! Thanks for advice though I do appreciate it. xx

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