Author Topic: Tossing and turning for hours at night without sleeping - please help....  (Read 14539 times)

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Offline abaker89

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I'm so sorry, I remember that being a tough time.  Ours did go on for months and months, it started around 10 mths of age and went to maybe 14 or 15 mths.  It was not every night but at least 3-4 nights a week.  She was also exhausted in the morning and could not handle very much A time, certainly not enough to make it to one nap.  She was still taking 2 naps for part of that time but the second was only 30 min and I think she only went down cause I nursed her to sleep.  So she was very tired for a long time.  I have a journal from that time period and when she was switching, she was napping around 10:30 or 11 am for 1 hr 20 min and then bed at 6:30 or 7.  She was always able to handle more A time in the afternoon than the morning, then her morning A time was around 3.5 hrs.  Any longer and I would get a 30 min, OT nap out of her.  I still tried many afternoons for a second nap and sometimes it happened but other times it didn't.  Even now at 28 mths, she can't make it much past 5.5-6 hrs A time and I know some kids stay up much longer.  She literally loses it.  I hope this helps you some, it may just take time. 

Offline babybarr

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Thanks that does help!  Did she cry at night or just restless?  I have spoken to the health visitor today who wants to speak to a specialist sleep nurse to see what she thinks.  Although I'd love it just to be one of those things I have a niggling feeling....
Did she just suddenly stop doing 2 naps and start sleeping better?  Thanks for the info!
LAURA xx




Offline abaker89

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She would cry at night and she wanted one of us in there to rock her but it never did much.  It seemed almost like there was an amount of time that had to pass before she could get back to sleep, usually 1.5-2 hrs.  We tried everything, pain reliever, feeding her (even though she hadn't eaten at night since she was 4 mths), nothing helped at all.  She did not suddenly switch to one nap, it was over the course of about 2 mths.  Some days she would take a 2nd nap, some days not.  It depended on when she woke up, if she woke later then she could stay up long enough to just have one nap.  After a while she just would never take a 2nd one unless we happened to be in the car so I just stopped trying.  By that point she had grown more into the longer A time, though she was stuck at 4 hrs A time forever it seems.  I think it was just a matter of her growing and changing but it sure stunk at the time!  I really hope nothing is wrong with him, I doubt there is but it is good to get everything checked. 

Offline babybarr

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Hi, DS doesn't cry at night - he often isn't really awake - just can't get comfortable or very restless and then after an hr or more of this chronic tossing and turning he may get so annoyed that he wakes and "calls" then it's usually a quick cuddle and back to bed at which point the tossing and turning continues.....

Fortunately over the weekend he did have some more normal naps which has certainly helped with the OT, however, it made no difference to the night antics.  Now we are generally having 2 episodes of the restlessness... :(  Poor thing.  I'm at the point where I sleep through quite a lot of it as there is nothing I can do to actually help. 

Hopefully the health visitor will call tomorrow (tues) having spoken with someone at the hospital. 

He has vomited 3 times in the last 2 days and I did wonder if the reflux was an issue - the dr said though she couldn't increase his relfux med anymore.... and he's been discharged from reflux clinic at the hospital.
LAURA xx




Offline LizzieN

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Why have they discharged him from reflux clinic??? His reflux isn't over??  Have they suggested any tests to determine if the reflux is flaring or if it's something else??

Hugs to you hun
xxLizzie


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Offline babybarr

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They discharged him because he only had "mild reflux" and seemed a lot better on the new med.  I think they thought he had practically grown out of it.  I'm not sure he has mild reflux as the day the tested he'd had barely anything to eat and what he did eat he threw up when they put the probe in!  Then because he'd not eaten much he was knackered and slept really well - probably cos he had no milk in his tummy to cause any reflux episodes - he is also a tummy sleeper and has been since he was little and obviously this helps with reflux!  However if they hadn't investigated his reflux they wouldn't know about his other condition - so am grateful for that!

Are there tests they can do (other than another probe - which I'm sure they wouldn't) to see if the reflux is worse?  He had a barium swallow too which showed the reflux immediately - I think this was probably more helpful given he was actually having something to drink IYSWIM?

Anyway, I'm back to nap refusal so hopefully not another OT cycle!! 
Hope everyone else is well.

Laura xxx
LAURA xx




Offline LizzieN

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Hey sweetie,
One other thing they will do is a scope to check that everything down there is right, but it's one of the last options I think because they have to put them under to do it....I don't know if this is what Dyllan will have, possibly since we are wondering if the reflux is actually a symptom of something anatomical rather than the cause in itself.

I always have that fear that they are going to have a look and think I am the one with the problem....the last few days Dyllan has slept through with only a few crying sessions in which he was able to re-settle (amazing), but having said that we are still unable to get more than about an hours sleep out of him.  My mum looked after him the other day (she has been away since before he was born so hasn't had a lot of baby sitting duties till now) and she definiately thinks that there is something going on, could hear him making his weird throat noise etc, had to burp him for ages (he is 17 months now and I'm getting rsi from burping him - only a slight exaggeration!!!) etc.  It's nice to have someone say, yes there is absolutely something that needs checking out :)  I love my  mum!!!!


I hope that Oliver isn't too OT today sweetie, I am thinking of you and sending hugs and donuts!!!  Also want to encourage you to pester your paediatrician until they get some more answers for you

xxLizzie


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Offline abaker89

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Just curious, what meds does he take and how much?  We had my daughter up to a really high dose, 3/4 tablet of Prevacid solutab, twice daily and she still had some break thru pain.  We weren't able to get her off the meds till after age 2 and still avoid too much tomato stuff.

Offline babybarr

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Hi, he's on 20mg of omeprazole (Losec) once a day.  Yesterday was quite a good day but today haywire again.  It's all very odd!  We avoid too much tomato and anything remotely acidic where poss which is really difficult on a dairy free diet too!

I'm not sure what's happening at night so much at the mo as I'm so knackered I sleep through - unless he cries or whinges obviously! 

Lizzie, strangely enough a few people who saw Oliver as a baby who either had children of their own or were in the medical profession said "something is not right with this baby" to me too.  My mum was very helpful to me too.  Go with your instinct (yes I know I'm a fine one to talk) but you do know your own child even though they haven't been around for very long!!

Huge hugs, thanks for all the support
Laura xxx
LAURA xx




Offline LizzieN

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That is a pretty low dose isn't it, but then they did say that his reflux was "mild" didn't they....we are also on a pretty low dose from what I can tell, but any time I ask the paed he says that the dosage should be fine and tbh he did increase it a bit and we didn't really see any improvement.

When Dyllan was little he wouldn't bend in the middle, wouldn't snuggle into you like other babies.  The child health nurse picked it up and sent us to the doctor, and mum also commented on it at the time too...they were worried he had some type of hyperextension, but it was the reflux...

you live and learn don't you :)

Thanks to you too lovely, it's really nice chatting :)  I will have tea or coffee, depends if I'm about to breastfeed, usually decafe tea these days...

xxLizzie


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Offline abaker89

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That is the same med as prilosec here in the US.  My husband takes it and he takes 20 mg so I think the dose is probably reasonable.  Couple of things tho, our ped GI said that babies metabolize the medicine much faster than an adult and do often need the adult dose or higher.  He also said that some people do well with Prilosec and some do well with prevacid (lansoprazole).  I think they tend to give babies in the US the prevacid cause the solutabs dissolve, making the dosing easier.  He also told us that due to the faster metabolizing thing, it is best with babies to split the dose whereas an adult can take it just once daily.  We really got no relief with her sleeping till we got the higher dose, it was quite noticeable within a week or so.  That being said, she was on the higher dose when she would do the long NW so I almost think its some sort of behavioral thing related to switching to one nap, just my opinion tho.

Aileen

Offline babybarr

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Well the health visitor called and the sleep clinic at the hospital want to see him.  They say that what he is doing isn't normal and that they want to get him checked and referred properly.  However, there is a 12 - 18 wk wait!!!

So if it is a one nap transition thing then I guess it'll all be sorted and we won't have to do it, if not then I'm pleased someone has listened to me!

My GP wouldn't increase Oliver's med.  I've tried in split doses before and made no difference, the doc said it should all be in the morning but I'm seeing his paed on fri so I'll mention it then and see what he says.  I'm doing one nap now and seeing what happens although so far not great.... :(

Hope you girls are well
 Big hugs
L xxx
LAURA xx




Offline Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica

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HEY I FOUND YOU! I was just doing some reading of your post. PLEASE forgive me if someone has already said this...but MY LO had reflux pretty bad for a while. We put two really sturdy text books under each leg of her crib on one side and it was like a miracle happened. We did the same when she had a really stuffy nose at one point. Just a thought...again sorry if someone already suggested this.

How is it going by the way??? My daughter tossed and turned like crazy when she had reflux. It was really bad for everyone.


Offline babybarr

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He's got books!!!  He also is predominantly a tummy sleeper - has been since he was tiny.  We're seeing his paed (for his blood condition) on Fri so will see what he says.  I'm certainly happy to try something if they think it is reflux related.  He does seem to be doing more wet burps and has been a little sick, HOWEVER, this has been going on months and he has had an increase in meds during that time... :(  Jessica, ANY suggestions are definitely most welcome - I'm desperate!
LAURA xx




Offline Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica

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Argh. All I can say is that we had a similar situation. It was three months of 5-6 night wakings... it looked something like this...

cold
separation anxiety
teeth
cold
growth spurt
teeth
more separation anxiety

it was rediculous. have you ever hear of the book "the wonder weeks." It is pretty interesting. Look it up - even if it doesn't get you more sleep - it may make you feel better.

keep us posted on what the doc says.