Sleep problem: Early waking

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2003
Sleep problem: Early waking
3
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 4:08pm

Our ds(4), does not have a problem falling asleep. We have done the same routine at bedtime since he was 3 mos old. It is a fairly long routine but seems to work. We have to do a lot during the day to wear him out because he is very active. He used to wake up anywhere between 6am and 6:30am. Not great for me but well. . . now he is waking anywhere between 5 and 6.

He seems to be tired, cranky and will sometimes fall asleep around 4-6pm but he will not nap if I try to make him he just usually will fall asleep in the car. I think he still needs a short nap but pushes himself through it til bedtime. The only thing I can think of that has changed is he has been going through a growth spurt. He has hypotonia and becomes very clumsy during growth spurts. I am doing special exercises with him in the morning and the clumsiness seems to have improved. The only other thing I can think of is he has large adenoids(but dr wants to wait it out because at 4 they are the largest and then he will grow or something like that). I think he wakes at 5 and just doesn't know how to fall back asleep.

What can we do? We are dying here from lack of sleep. I am actually having a sleep study done for myself soon because I have very unrestful sleep. When I met with the doctor I mentioned about my son and she thought we should try melatonin. I told her I thought it was just for falling asleep not staying asleep. She said she was just at a conference in Canada and they did not specify it was just for falling asleep only.

Any advice is welcome,
Molly

Molly
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2006
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 5:17pm
I'd try the melatonin...DD's problems weren't so much the going to sleep part but staying sleep all night....she'd wake at 3 or so and not be able to get herself back to sleep until 5 or 6. Now she still wakes sometimes, but she can self sooth and fall back asleep. at anyrate, it can hurt.
Have you triend the melatonin for you? I use to use it when I flew back and forth to europe twice a week with work long before I had kids. When DD started having sleep issues, I thought about it, but wasn't sure about the safety for small kids. After doing some research we started giving it to her and she sleeps very well now.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 12:27pm
Hi Molly. I have the same problem. Jacob (28 months) has never slept well. He will go to sleep ok, but he is up at midnight, 3 and 5:45. I am very tired too. Sometimes I just let him sleep on my floor. WHen he does that, he seems to sleep the most restful for some reason. Jacob was in a pretty good pattern for a while (sleeping 8 until 6). Then the time changed and he got goofed up. I'm not much help but just wanted to let you know you aren't the only one. A developmental Ped. once told me it had something to do with circadian rythmns. Whatever.... that didn't help me any. I haven't tried the melatonin but if you do, let me know how it works.
Sending you sleep vibes!
Sonya
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 12:37pm

I tried the melanton last night for the first time, and it worked really well. Ever since Christmas vacation its been really hard getting them back in a schedule for bedtime.

Its not too expensive either. For a bottle of 3 mg's it was $3.99. The boys did seem to be sleepier this morning, but I can't say its cuz the melanton. It could be because it was still hard to get them in bed on time. This will just be a work in process for us.

But, they fell asleep much easier and faster than they normally have been doing.