Dear Waves,

I did not know that about melatonin but it makes sense now that you point it out.

Sometimes, I think that this lark / owl / variations of such is worked out before we are even born.

That makes sense to me.

I think that each of us has different sensitivities to and realtionships to light.

It is hard to explain what what was going on in that convo with the accupuncturist. I only remember that after she said whatever she said to me, I threw away my bottle.

I wish we could work out our sleep puzzles.

I wonder if sleep was different in the days before we had indoor light and esp electricity.

My book Lights Out deals with how our lives would be different if we could go to bed at before 9:00 and sleep in complete darkness.

Dr. Phelps on his bipolar web site links to researchers who say that bipolar folks sleep better with no light in the bed room. I am going to go back and look for that link tomorrow -- I probably messed up what I remember.

M

Mari

Thanks, I don't know what to do then about this little guy.

If we give it to him more than a hour or two before we want
him to go to sleep. It doesn't work at all.

Say we give him the 1mg or 3mg, the other size pill.

He will take 2 hours at the 3mg. The 1mg will not work at all.
He is then up all night with his mother on the 1mg.

The 3mg, he sleeps for exactly 3 or 4 hours, is up at midnight,
with his mother. WHo doesn't get any sleep then. Because she
has to take a sleeping pill to get any sleep too.

So its a catch 22 like situation either he is given the medication
or he isn't because if he isn't given medication he doesn't sleep.
Other than a little bit say a cat nap here and there.

But never in the middle of the night when everyone else needs to
sleep.

He is our houdini and can get out the doors, no matter what the lock.

Benedryl doesn't work, nothing else has or did.

So this has been it.

So far. And its less harmful than a drug the doctor could give.

So I imagine we will stick to it right now.

Donna

Dear Donna,

If he has toys in the room where he sleeps, take them out.
According to good sleep hygiene practices, the bedroom has to be used only for sleep.

Here are some more good practices.
Click on this link:

http://www.advancedpediatrics.com/ha...ep-toddler.pdf

One of the hardest for some parents is the one about being consistent about bedtime:
Mari

Mari

The bedroom he sleeps in probably has toys, but its not the toys
he plays with. The other problem is whether he has toys to play
with doesn't matter.

He is a busy little mind. He has to go all the time. He wont stay
in the room. If he doesn't have something in his system.
He wakes the whole household, both sisters and dad.

Then mom has a bigger problem, Sisters neither one feel like school.

If he would just stay in the bedroom and do nothing it would be different.

This is what his dad, my son did many years ago.
He was the reason his brother went to bed 15 minutes before him.

And I had to stay up till 1 or 2 am with him, listening to him talk to himself
in his bed in his room all night. Till he finally went to sleep.
He didn't get out of his bed, unless he had to go potty. Which wasn't
very often.

The only way this changed, was when we found quite by accident about
2nd or 3rd grade that if he was given ritalin after 6pm. That he slept
from 9pm till the next morning.

I had been told by his doctor just like all other parents are not to ever
give ritalin after 6pm, but I had forgotten one night. And he had lots
of homework, and I had given it. So after that happened the ritalin
was given for like two weeks till a doctor's appt to see what happened.

The doctor at that point ordered the meds to be given at 6pm. It was
totally funny. He also shook his head.

Donna

Mari

I don't know we have tried everything when he is at my house. He sleeps
on the little love seat. Instead of upstairs in a bed. Because he has fallen
downstairs before many times. I sleep on the other couch.

He gets up and sleepwalks when he doesn't have the meds. He also gets me
up all night. He also tries to go out the front door. And yes we do have
some toys in the area. But they aren't in the same room.

He has woken his grandpa in the other room before. And has even gone
into that room, in the middle of the night.
I have to be careful because the basement is sometimes open, because it
has to be. So I have a gate for that by the kitchen. But he can sometimes
climb that. Ugh, but he knows that he isn't supposed too.

We just work around it. But its much better all the way around when he
sleeps. So the amount that helps him sleep is what we have been doing.

I'm guessing now that school has started he takes less at night on school
nights. But still needs the higher amount on weekends.

I know its going to be a need to talk to the ped now. We have tried for
the last year. But some medical emergency keeps happening every time
I go. And we get the nurse practioner who isn't as good at listening.

We need a pediatric neurologist. And I know exactly who.

So that is my plan, I just need to get mom on board.

Donna

Dear Donna,

Keep helping him.
Getting a doctor involved will make all the difference in the world.


M

Hi,

A week ago I increased my Gabapentin dose from 200 mgs (two capsules) to about 233 mgs (two and one third capsules.).

Tonight I raised the dose to about 260 mgs (close to three capsules but not quite).


Summary: Last Friday I increased the dose a little. Tonight, I increased the dose again.


M

Donna, this sounds exhausting for you and your family.
Good luck with your higher dose mari, how is the higher dose effecting you already?bizi

Hi,

I slept! I am so happy.

I think I slept about 6 or 6 1/2 hours.
'Thank goodness.
I was afraid I was going to crack up.

M

Hi, Bizi,

I do not know about the Gabapentin yet.

I am expecting that after I am 300 mgs for a week or two I might notice it helping with depression and anxiety --- I have to wait to fine out.

Mari