Guest guest Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 Hi all, I don't write often but, the sleep issue is huge right now!! Our twin chargers are 10yrs. in particular is having a tough time staying asleap past 3am. He goes to sleep with Melatonin just fine but, is waking up soooo early ready for the day. It makes it so hard for all of us. Anyone else with this issue? anything that works? He has also recently started on Welbutrin but, in a very small dose. It seems to be helping with his other issues( ocd, mood, depression ect...) . He doesn't seem hyper durring the day. WHat do you think?. Jill (mother to twin chargers and Zachary 10yrs), and 19months sleep disturbance > Hi Colleen, > > > > The precise problem with sleep in CHARGE is not something that we > know for > sure, but we can speculate about it. One of the first tasks for > an infant > after birth is self-regulation. Initially the problem is to regulate > physiological functions like sleep, hunger cycles, elimination - > later this > includes arousal levels during periods of being awake. Think of > the last > time you had to sit for a period of time to hear a talk or even > attend a > movie, and the things you did to keep your self attending. We > move around > in our seats, jiggle our legs, rub our hair, etc. These are all > way to > self-regulate arousal. When we go to bed there are also things we > do to get > ourselves to relax. I think in part because our kids are working > so hard to > just stay alive and healthy, they do not learn to self-regulate > well. This > results in what we call a regulatory disorder. When our kids go > from a > fairly placid state of being to being totally wound up in a few > seconds,this is a good sign of a regulatory disorder. > > > > The best intervention for this is usually positive bedtime > routine. A > regular bed time with a regular schedule of events leading up to > turning off > the light. This is not a cure all, and is not a quick > intervention either, > but it is a part of developing healthy sleep. The nice thing about > melatoninis that it helps to correct physiological sleep-wake > cycle problems. A lot > of sleep medications just knock you out. Melatonin increases the > levels of > a chemical that we have naturally, but that may not be functioning > correctlyin its natural cycle. It is also helpful to look at > activity level during > the day. Some days does not get enough activity and I think > thataffects his sleep. Diet is also important, like when the last > meal is prior > to bedtime, and of course avoiding caffeine. > > > > I hope this helps a bit. I wish we knew more. > > > > Tim > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 Jill, I don't remember how old was when we started Melatonin (she's 21 now, and we still use it nightly). It's fine for getting her to drift off, but eventually her dr when she was still at Perkins added Trazedone. For a long while, that did wonders to keep her asleep for a " normal " cycle, but she's beginning to wake again at odd early hours (I personally think this waking has more to do with bowel issues more than anything else). In any case, I'd certainly ask your dr. about Trazedone (my own said that he'd like a keg of the stuff; never asked him exactly what he meant). Martha (Tim: jump in here, please. You and I are about equal, I think, in our desire to avoid meds. Sleep, however, has been - and is - a gigantic issue here. Just don't know how the professionals feel about this.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 Has there been any studies that suggest that some kids' sleep issues might have to do with seizure-like activity in the brain? had a 24-hour EEG last August, and although the neuro doesn't think she's having full-blown seizures, she did have a lot of seizure-like brain spikes in her left hemisphere. Some of these happened at night. During the EEG, she happened to have one of her nights where she woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and was wide awake and ready to go. The EEG showed a large amount of brain activity right around the time she woke up. We've also observed her some at night, and when she wakes up in the middle of the night like this, it's not a normal, gradual waking up--she goes from sound asleep to a quick startle onto her back and she's wide awake, often followed by a spell of laughing (again, a sign of seizure-like activity). We're not big fans of medicating when it's unnecessary either, but 's sleep patterns got so bad toward the end of last year that she's now on a low dosage of both Trazedone (sleep med) and Limactal (anti-seizure med). These seem to be helping. She still has nights where she only sleeps 5 or 6 hours and then is up, but at least it's a continual sleep--not 3 hours down, 5 hours up, and then 3 hours down again like it was almost every night there for a while. I've noticed her seizure-like activity during the day being less prevalent too, and she's attending better in school. , mom to (4) --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 Tim, Thanks for your insight! It now makes so much more sense to me. At least I can wrap my brain around that explanation!! I so appreciate it. , Thanks for looking into the research!! Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Hello, My son was put on Trazadone for self abusive behaviors. HE takes 75mg 3 times daily. His self abusive behaviors have GREATLY improved. As an added benefit he does sleep much better. We occasionally use Melatonin if he has trouble falling asleep which is only about twice a month now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Martha /tim We do use Melatonin but, it only helps to put him to sleep. I will look into the Trazadone. Thanks for the input. It is nice to know that I'm not the only sleep deprived parent out there! Jill Re: sleep disturbance > Jill, > I don't remember how old was when we started Melatonin > (she's > 21 now, and we still use it nightly). It's fine for getting her > to drift off, but > eventually her dr when she was still at Perkins added Trazedone. > For a > long while, that did wonders to keep her asleep for a " normal " > cycle, but > she's beginning to wake again at odd early hours (I personally > think this > waking has more to do with bowel issues more than anything else). > In > any case, I'd certainly ask your dr. about Trazedone (my own said > that he'd > like a keg of the stuff; never asked him exactly what he meant). > Martha > (Tim: jump in here, please. You and I are about equal, I think, > in our > desire to avoid meds. Sleep, however, has been - and is - a > gigantic > issue here. Just don't know how the professionals feel about this.) > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Martha /tim We do use Melatonin but, it only helps to put him to sleep. I will look into the Trazadone. Thanks for the input. It is nice to know that I'm not the only sleep deprived parent out there! Jill Re: sleep disturbance > Jill, > I don't remember how old was when we started Melatonin > (she's > 21 now, and we still use it nightly). It's fine for getting her > to drift off, but > eventually her dr when she was still at Perkins added Trazedone. > For a > long while, that did wonders to keep her asleep for a " normal " > cycle, but > she's beginning to wake again at odd early hours (I personally > think this > waking has more to do with bowel issues more than anything else). > In > any case, I'd certainly ask your dr. about Trazedone (my own said > that he'd > like a keg of the stuff; never asked him exactly what he meant). > Martha > (Tim: jump in here, please. You and I are about equal, I think, > in our > desire to avoid meds. Sleep, however, has been - and is - a > gigantic > issue here. Just don't know how the professionals feel about this.) > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Martha /tim We do use Melatonin but, it only helps to put him to sleep. I will look into the Trazadone. Thanks for the input. It is nice to know that I'm not the only sleep deprived parent out there! Jill Re: sleep disturbance > Jill, > I don't remember how old was when we started Melatonin > (she's > 21 now, and we still use it nightly). It's fine for getting her > to drift off, but > eventually her dr when she was still at Perkins added Trazedone. > For a > long while, that did wonders to keep her asleep for a " normal " > cycle, but > she's beginning to wake again at odd early hours (I personally > think this > waking has more to do with bowel issues more than anything else). > In > any case, I'd certainly ask your dr. about Trazedone (my own said > that he'd > like a keg of the stuff; never asked him exactly what he meant). > Martha > (Tim: jump in here, please. You and I are about equal, I think, > in our > desire to avoid meds. Sleep, however, has been - and is - a > gigantic > issue here. Just don't know how the professionals feel about this.) > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Tim, Wow, wonderful as always. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Colleen, What did you want to know about cognitive-behavior therapy? For what purpose? Kim > Hi Colleen, > > > > The precise problem with sleep in CHARGE is not something that we know for > sure, but we can speculate about it. One of the first tasks for an infant > after birth is self-regulation. Initially the problem is to regulate > physiological functions like sleep, hunger cycles, elimination - later this > includes arousal levels during periods of being awake. Think of the last > time you had to sit for a period of time to hear a talk or even attend a > movie, and the things you did to keep your self attending. We move around > in our seats, jiggle our legs, rub our hair, etc. These are all way to > self-regulate arousal. When we go to bed there are also things we do to get > ourselves to relax. I think in part because our kids are working so hard to > just stay alive and healthy, they do not learn to self-regulate well. This > results in what we call a regulatory disorder. When our kids go from a > fairly placid state of being to being totally wound up in a few seconds, > this is a good sign of a regulatory disorder. > > > > The best intervention for this is usually positive bedtime routine. A > regular bed time with a regular schedule of events leading up to turning off > the light. This is not a cure all, and is not a quick intervention either, > but it is a part of developing healthy sleep. The nice thing about melatonin > is that it helps to correct physiological sleep-wake cycle problems. A lot > of sleep medications just knock you out. Melatonin increases the levels of > a chemical that we have naturally, but that may not be functioning correctly > in its natural cycle. It is also helpful to look at activity level during > the day. Some days does not get enough activity and I think that > affects his sleep. Diet is also important, like when the last meal is prior > to bedtime, and of course avoiding caffeine. > > > > I hope this helps a bit. I wish we knew more. > > > > Tim > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 That is something interesting to consider. Kim > Has there been any studies that suggest that some kids' sleep issues might > have to do with seizure-like activity in the brain? had a 24-hour EEG > last August, and although the neuro doesn't think she's having full-blown > seizures, she did have a lot of seizure-like brain spikes in her left > hemisphere. Some of these happened at night. During the EEG, she happened to > have one of her nights where she woke up suddenly in the middle of the night > and was wide awake and ready to go. The EEG showed a large amount of brain > activity right around the time she woke up. We've also observed her some at > night, and when she wakes up in the middle of the night like this, it's not a > normal, gradual waking up--she goes from sound asleep to a quick startle onto > her back and she's wide awake, often followed by a spell of laughing (again, a > sign of seizure-like activity). > > We're not big fans of medicating when it's unnecessary either, but 's > sleep patterns got so bad toward the end of last year that she's now on a low > dosage of both Trazedone (sleep med) and Limactal (anti-seizure med). These > seem to be helping. She still has nights where she only sleeps 5 or 6 hours > and then is up, but at least it's a continual sleep--not 3 hours down, 5 hours > up, and then 3 hours down again like it was almost every night there for a > while. I've noticed her seizure-like activity during the day being less > prevalent too, and she's attending better in school. > > , mom to (4) > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! Mail > Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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