I have blogged often about sleep, as it is a battle we have had with both boys.
Liam started self-soothing at night at 1 year old, but didn't actually sleep through the night until 2.5 years old. Around 18 months, he began to have problems falling asleep and would bounce circles around his crib for 3 hours before collapsing into an exhausted sleep and only sleeping for 8 hours. It went on for about 5 months as we could not make him fall asleep. Around this time, I began researching Sensory Processing Disorder and realized many kids with sensory issues need mealtonin to fall asleep as their bodies don't produce a sufficient amount. We tried melatonin with Liam and I started calling it my miracle drug. His pediatrician approved an amount as high as 3mg and we did need that amount for a brief time, but he is down to 1 mg a night. Occasionally, we try to skip it, only to find Liam laying awake in bed, confused as to why he cannot sleep. His little body needs that extra push. Yes, we have tried a weighted blanket to help him produce his own melatonin, but it doesn't work.
Ben turned out to be a worse sleeper than Liam. He didn't sleep through the night without soothing until 19 months. In the past 5 months, he has started to take longer and loner to fall asleep. For the last few weeks (3-5 weeks or so), it has taken 2 hours. During the last week, he demands a book and just lays in bed pointing to letters and naming them. He wakes up 8 hours later and is miserable. Twice last week he fell asleep in the car at 10am from exhaustion and then refused to nap. Things were getting worse, not better. I had tried melatonin in the past with him, for his night wakenings and to help with our move to Alaska (when his sleep was something like 4 hours in a 24 hour period) but it didn't work.
Last night I gave Ben 1/2 mg of melatonin and he was alseep before I was done putting Liam to sleep. He woke briefly at 10pm but quickly settled back to sleep and slept 11 hours. It felt like a miracle! Melatonin is a miracle drug for both boys. I hate that I need to give my boys anything to sleep, even a natural supplement, but I know their bodies need more than 8 hours of sleep a day. If Ben dos have sensory issues, it makes sense that his body is as deficient in mealtonin as Liam's body is and given Ben's history, I wonder if he doesn't even produce LESS melatonin than Liam.
Let's hope this change leads to a more rested Mommy.
3 comments:
I hope so!
So Ben didn't sleep through the night until 19 months? You mean, there is hope for Emily???!!!
I am getting bitter due to her being 18 months and not really sleeping through the night.. I thought it was unheard of at this age....
Yes, Kelly, Ben was actually closer to 20 months. He turned 18 months on October 6th andd he didn't start sleeping through the night until after the GI in Seattle increased his Prilosec to 20mg a day in November, and it was closer to mid-November. Beefore that, he slept through the night maybe 3 or 5 times in the previous 19 and 1/2 months.
I wonder if you won't see more sleep if Emily staarts bac on reflux medication?
You know my issues with R and not sleeping through the night. she will be 18 months in 16 days and has only STTN maybe three times. I figure giving them a natural supplement can't be as bad for them as sleep deprivation! I hope it continues to work for both your boys!
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