8 year old daughter - sleep issues....

[GavinH]

Due to work load and other commitments it has been at least a month since I was on the forum and I wanted to provide an update and ask for opinions.

Summary: My daughter (now 8) wakes up numerous times in the night and needs reassurance to get her back to sleep. She has been living with me since May 2011 and has her own room. Previously she co-slept with her mom but mom now has a number of issues that prevent the kids living there - 17 year old daughter is doing well with the changes.

Full history at: http://www.parentingforums.org/showthread.php?t=12714 for those that want additional background.

Update: So, on the advice of members of this forum, I have had her see a doctor and counselor. It is too early for the counselor to have an opinion but last week a sleep doctor diagnosed her with a mild restless leg syndrome with anxiety. She feels the restless leg wakes my daughter up and the anxiety prevents her from going back to sleep easily. To address this she has prescribed Trazodone 25mg to be taken 60 minutes before bed time. We are also scheduled for a sleep study next month if there are no real progress in a month. Now, to be very honest and am dead scared of giving a 8 year old even a low dose of a anti-depressant and wanted to get some input from other parents. http://www.parentingforums.org/images/smilies/eek.gif

Let me know what you think .....

Kind regards
Gavin

 

[Dadu2004]

Ugh. I absolutely HATE the thought of medicating children without an amazingly good reason to do so. Personally, I would exhaust every other avenue of trying to solve the issue before medicating her.

 

[mom2many]

So i went and did a little looking around and i would not be comfortable giving that to my child. My husband took it so its not the med itself it's the fact that there are some increases risk in children.

Have you tried a more natural remedy? Some melatonin, maybe?

 

[GavinH]

Hi Mom - I have tried melatonin and there seems to be little to no change. Most commercially available melatonin meds are also synthetic and WebMD also has some cautions against that for young children. I am at a bit of a loss but i will be taking her to another doctor for a second opinion.

As always .... your opinions and feedback is appreciated.

 

[mom2many]

I would do a different opinion. Have you tried weighted blankets? Blankets heavier then normal? It's another natural type therapy out there and a friend had great success with it...and her DD did not sleep but maybe 2-4 hours a day.

 

[MomoJA]

I would also avoid those sorts of meds with an 8 year old unless it was absolutely necessary. Having said that, I hear the RLS is horrible, and that's from adults. I can understand why an 8 year old would suffer from anxiety after being awoken by it.

The weighted blankets sound lovely. I think I'd like them for myself. I don't really know exactly how RLS manifests, but it's possible the weighted blankets could make the sensation less disturbing or at least might help her go back to sleep.

Did she have no trouble when she co-slept? If so, I'd think it was more the anxiety than anything else, and perhaps there are ways you can lessen that without drugs. I don't think you would want to start co-sleeping, but maybe there is some compromise you can come up with for her for a while. I don't know exactly how, but she might be able to help you. She might know what would help her feel safer at night that could be a starting poing.

 

[Jeremy+3]

If she has restless legs have you tried giving her a leg massage at bedtime? You can get warming creams that relax the muscles that you can rub on before bed (you can even just use the ones used for sport injury mixed with a normal moisturiser). I would avoid giving her melatonin, its quite dangerous and it shouldn't be given to children unless you want them reliant on it for a long time.

Using anti-depressants is quite a common way to treat insomnia, the one you have been advised to take is very successful in treating insomnia without effecting future sleep patterns once it is removed, it can also treat regional pain disorders which would also calm her legs and it is used for anxiety problems. That is a high dose that, the dose he has suggested is what you would give an adult to aid sleep not a child. It isn't licensed here for use in children, so I'm not sure of the appropriate sleep aid amount, but definitely not as much as your doctors suggestion.

 

[Jeremy+3]

Also, have you had a sleep evaluation done to monitor her activity during her sleep?

 

[singledad]

Just a thought - I know that iron deficiency can sometimes cause RLS. Have you tried giving her an iron supplement? Of course, her's might have a different cause, but it may be worth a try. You will still have to find a way to deal with her anxiety, but at least she'd be more comfortable, physically...

 

[Mom2all]

Poor baby. Perhaps you could look into what exactly she's anxious about. Is it that she's scared and if so of what. Is it the normal boggie man type thing or is she scared you won't be there when she gets up? My youngest got scared after my mom died, so we gave him a flash light to put by his bed and a showed him how the monitor worked by me talking and him listening from my bed. ( he was six but we dug the thing out for him)
What ever it is bothering her, let her tell you what it is, and then both talk about ideas that would make her feel safer.

 

[GavinH]

On the rare occasion that she has snuck into my bed she does not seem to wake up as much. I is quite possible however that she is waking but seeing or sensing me she goes back to sleep and doesn't disturb me. We have had some long conversations together on the anxiety and there doesn't seem to be anything specific that we can see although she has recently take an interest in my ability to pay the bills and asked if we were going to be able to stay in the house. Her mom moved a lot and had terrible financial issues so this may be anxiety related to that.

We did have blood tests to check for physical issues like iron deficiency and found none but the doc said there is no harm in a childs multi-vitamin with iron so she is taking that.

I tried tucking in with heavy blankets (not weighted though) without much success. She says she felt smothered ..... and in the morning the sheets and bedding was in a pile at the foot of the bed.

Even as a very young child she seemed very dependent on someone being close and at night, when she was in the bed, you could feel a little foot trying to find someone to latch on to.

Jeremy -- sleep eval should happen in Feb sometime so we will see what they find.

I am not totally convinced on the RLS as she never complained or mentioned any of the symptoms until quizzed by sleep doctor.

 

[Milliegene]

Would get 2nd opinion. Trazodone seems rather severe to give a small child.

 

[MomsNeedtoKnow]

I dislike the idea of using medication to make children sleep. I tried putting a tent on the bed called a "privacy pop" I found online, and it worked wonders. My kids share rooms, so it's even better. They feel like they have their own space and don't mind bedtime so much.

 

[cottonfamily]

This little girl has had her complete world turned upside down. I wouldn't be able to sleep either if I was her. Before you start her on med's, have you considered putting her bed at the end of your bed? I know that may sound strange but if she's used to cosleeping she is probably craving some closeness that she misses with her Mom. She probably is very uncomfortable sleeping in a room by herself and now she's even in a new house.

 

[GavinH]

She has been in the house full time now since May of last year and every other weekend fir a year before that so I don't think the house or room should be an influencing factor.

I'd love to get my girls to share the room but with 10 years between them that isn't going to happen. Her big sister is also heading off to college in the fall so that will be another disruption in her life.

Despite all the issues she is adjusting quite well - last week we got a letter from the school suggesting that she move into the GT (gifted and talented) class in the coming year as the regular class is not challenging her sufficiently.

Now, if only she would sleep through the night I believe there would be less whining and more smiles.

 

[cottonfamily]

Okay, it sounds like she is familiar with your home. She may miss the cosleeping she had with Mom. Maybe u could laydown with her until she falls asleep but just explain to her that she will be in her own bed but you will snuggle with her for a little while but then she needs to sleep so she can grow properly. I don't know, its a tough situation ur in.

 

[momtoallkids]

Due to work load and other commitments it has been at least a month since I was on the forum and I wanted to provide an update and ask for opinions.

Summary: My daughter (now 8) wakes up numerous times in the night and needs reassurance to get her back to sleep. She has been living with me since May 2011 and has her own room. Previously she co-slept with her mom but mom now has a number of issues that prevent the kids living there - 17 year old daughter is doing well with the changes.

Full history at: http://www.parentingforums.org/showthread.php?t=12714 for those that want additional background.

Update: So, on the advice of members of this forum, I have had her see a doctor and counselor. It is too early for the counselor to have an opinion but last week a sleep doctor diagnosed her with a mild restless leg syndrome with anxiety. She feels the restless leg wakes my daughter up and the anxiety prevents her from going back to sleep easily. To address this she has prescribed Trazodone 25mg to be taken 60 minutes before bed time. We are also scheduled for a sleep study next month if there are no real progress in a month. Now, to be very honest and am dead scared of giving a 8 year old even a low dose of a anti-depressant and wanted to get some input from other parents. http://www.parentingforums.org/images/smilies/eek.gif

Let me know what you think .....

Kind regards
Gavin

if you do end up having to put her on some type of medication, abilify works great for younger kids. its not an anti-depressant but rather a mood stablizer. my 10yo has tried alot of differant meds and this one seems to work best. it was suggested to me by a friend whos 6yo is on it. it wont help with the sleeping but it may help overall.

please be careful with the trazidone. my son was on it for a while and he had nightmares and memory loss. try an antihystamine like benydryl or hydroxizine.