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Posted: 13 August 2006 at 1:09am | IP Logged

I really feel for my baby we have a surge of good days, and then a surge of bad! Tonight he is having a very unsettled nights sleep. He is sleeping talking and talking a lot of irrational nonsense. He also moving around the bed and unable to settle very well, he even fell out earlier! We also had a small period of night terror earlier in the evening, which lasted about 18 minutes. I wish I could do something for him!

I am now unsettled to go to bed myself knowing he isnt very happy, and yet I am feeling very tired. Im sat here waiting for the next night terror to start, and although it shouldnt do he is obviously quite unsettled and I can just tell tonight is going to be an eventful one.

I really dont want to put him back on the sedative medication, it made him so grumpy during the day. Just now he is such a delight throughout the day. However he is feeling the disturbed nights as the following day he is restless and needs an afternoon nap to help him through the day. Night terrors are far more popular in the toddler stages and he should definitely be out growing them by now. At one stage Id have said we'd come through the other side at long last but now they are slowly creeping up again. When they started again this time they were lasting just a few minutes and no more than 10, now slowly they are building themselves up longer.

I sit and look at him sometimes and he can have the face of an angel whilst he is asleep, yet others, like tonight, he looks full of worry and pain. I have no idea what his tiny little mind is making him think I just wish I knew a way to stop it.

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 9:40am | IP Logged

Awwwww mate I really feel for you.  It sounds heartbreaking.  First, sending lots of hugs to both of you.

Is it the actual sedative itself that is making him grumpy or the fact that he is sleeping and he has no control?  Can you not ask the doctor to change the sedative?  I've given Max Phenergen before to help relax him on a very long flight and it worked.  His mood when awake was delightful and his demeanour was calm.  But maybe Joshua needs to be on another sedative.

The other thing I was thinking about is have you considered taking Joshua to see a child psychologist?  I know it sounds extreme, but I know of a number of people who were seen by one as babies or children, including my husband, for various reasons.  Maybe, they can assess Joshua and get another perspective.

Other than that I'm not really sure, sweetheart.

Take care.

Zo xxxx

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 11:40am | IP Logged

My GP wanted him to see a sleep therapist when things got really bad but they would take the referal as he was so young. They say that wouldnt be able to get to the bottom of anything as he is to young to understand them or tell them anything!

Joshua was put on Phenergen and it did not help he still woke, and so was put on a different one. Not sure of the name, this did help a little at first as he would go to sleep and stay asleep but he woke up grumpy and ratty, then he started taking ages to get to sleep after taking it and still woke up through the night with either night mares or night terrors.

As I thought last night was a very disturbed night for both of us. Although he doesnt seem to be tired this morning so it couldnt have effected him as much as me, Im struggling to wake up lol

Im going to dedicate my time to researching sleep therapies and alternative therapies then when I see my HV next I will see what she thinks is going to be best. He really should be growing out of this by now! I think both Joshua and I have had our fair share hehe xxx

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 12:30pm | IP Logged

gosh i hope he is ok soon. there's nothing i can suggest as i've never been in this situation before.it definately sounds like something psychological(cant spell!) though, somethings not right.

hope he's right again soon

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 2:12pm | IP Logged

I had that as a baby and my grandad got me a huge poster of a tiger to scare away the nightmares.  Never had a bad bout since apparently.  Mind you, he (my tiger) is always the first picture that goes up on the bedroom wall whenever we move house. 

Tasja had a bad bout a few years ago, so i hunted everywhere to find a poster of a proud guardian looking tiger we had a chat to say that he would look after her while she was sleeping and always watch over her, even now she still says goodnight to her tiger before she goes to bed.

You never know, might be worth a try...I know it sounds daft but it works for us.

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 3:21pm | IP Logged

Im still using the dream catcher, and although he now believes that it is catching the bad dreams he is still unsettled. Ive also bought him a special teddy that looks after him at bed time so far none of these have proved useful lol he has had these on and off for 3 years they started when he was just a few months old. I suffered terribly when I was little but mine started much later than Joshua, my mum said I just grew out of them.

He has been grumpy a bit this afternoon if he hasnt had his own way, but I know that it is just tirdness probably due to last night. Im running out of ideas to try, I just hope for both our sakes these dont become as severe of close together as they were. We've had a bad couple of nights this week so fingers crossed he should settle down for a few weeks xxx

Posted: 13 August 2006 at 5:25pm | IP Logged

That is the kind of behaviour I had when i was little, Joshua is working his way to this strange behaviour. Although most of his sleep problems occur in his bed, either screaming or lashing out, he has started to wonder about in his sleep more and more. I had to take all my stair gates down as Joshua would fling himself over them. He is unable to open either the front or back door, which is a relief but he'll soon have it mastered Im sure. He has in the past messed with water and taps in his sleep, most commonly he raids cupborads and my fridge. I dont want his behaviour to become extreme and I hope to sort it out before it does.

he has also started sleep talking an awful lot, I have been noting down all that he says and hopefully some of it will make sense to someone and they will be able to understand what goes on in his little mind. Some of the things he says you and I wouldnt dream of thinking about!