children who don't sleep

[HotI]

i know this has been done again and again, and i should be used to it by now, but why do some kids just not sleep?

ds is 17 months old and rarely will sleep during the day. he might sleep after a feed if i don't move him, but then i don't get a break anyway cos i am holding him.

i know i am not alone, iv'e just been dealing with nonsleepers for 3.5 years and today i am over it.

[Artechim]

BTDT. Sucks.

My third is my awesome sleeper. During the day at least - she woke every hour or two at night for all of 2012. But she has always had good day sleeps. Now it appears she is going to drop it soon I am lucky that she has slept so well so far but I really enjoyed having that break away from parenting for a bit of every day. Nothing really to add, I am just bummed out that we are probably going to have the gradually later day sleeps that leave her up half the night thing going on, until I crack it and cut the nap out completely. I was hoping she would make it until the end of the year but I may not be that lucky.

I have a friend that has four kids, all of whom have a day sleep. The oldest is nearly 7 and still sleeps when he gets home from school. I find it hard to believe that some kids are still sleeping at that age and mine dump their day nap around the time they turn two, go to bed late and then get up early.

I am tired.

[Arimeh]

I have a friend that has four kids, all of whom have a day sleep. The oldest is nearly 7 and still sleeps when he gets home from school. I find it hard to believe that some kids are still sleeping at that age and mine dump their day nap around the time they turn two, go to bed late and then get up early.
.

OMG are you serious? God that just makes me jealous.

Mine are non-sleepers too. And they drop their day nap early - around 2 as well. DD3 was 2 at the end of March and she's dropped hers. My 6 year old takes about 90 minutes to go to sleep of a night time, and is up early (like 5am!) each day. I don't know why they don't need sleep, but god I'm tired too!!

[Artechim]

I am sooo jealous! She gets the three preschoolers to sleep at the same time!! I think I managed duel sleeps between the baby and toddler about 3 times ever.

I like to think that we dipped out on the sleep stakes but that it is made up for in some other area. I am still trying to figure out where...

[PumpkinZulu]

Another jealous one. DD1 dropped one of her 2 day naps at 18 months, despite REALLY needing it. And then a couple of months ago all but dropped the other one. She wakes every couple of hours overnight. She was a dream sleeper to begin with (as is her sister), and then it all went south at about 6 months...which is what DD2 is now, so I'm kind of nervous right now!

[HotI]

I am really tired at the moment. Couple of nights when DH has been on night shift, I do the whole dinner, bath, pj, book, feed thing - then I end up falling asleep on the couch while the 2 kids just keep going.

I have DS in my bed after first wake up, so I'm not getting a break overnight either.

DD dropped her day sleeps at around 9 months, but then started them again some days when she turned 1. DS dropped to one sleep at 6 months but it was a couple of hours then. Now if he has one it is an hour at most and it also means he will be up to stupid o clock.

DD is pretty good at sleeping over night now (at 3.5 years), but still fights going to sleep each night.

t

[meow]

Magnesium? Perhaps try epsom salt baths before bed, rub magnesium oil or lotion on them, supplement with a good cal/mag supplement.

[HotI]

what does the magnesium do?

[meow]

Magnesium has a zillion uses in our body and is well connected with assisting the ability to regulate sleep. It helps the nerves and many body parts function so perhaps that is how it helps sleep. I'm not sure entirely. It generally helps you fall asleep, stay asleep and develop more 'normal' sleep patterns in people who have difficulty with sleeping.

[Artechim]

Magnesium could be worth a shot. I give it to my kids because it is supposed to help with anxiety (DS) but I haven't noticed any difference.

Tart cherry is also supposed to help with sleeping. I haven't tried it though.

[PumpkinZulu]

Arte, I took magnesium in pregnancy, do they have a magnesium supplement for kids (chewable, liquid etc) or do you just give them the regular tablets. DD1 is a bit young for them but I'm interested to try her on magnesium, both for the anxiety and sleep.

[*beannaithe*]

Arte, we are day four if tart cherry which takes about two weeks to fully kick in. Will keep you posted.

[sepata]

You could do Epsom salt baths pz, so she absorbs through her skin if you can't find a supplement got her agr

[OceanPrincess]

Hello

Last night the kids' godparents came for tea. God mum was talking about this friend who has weaned her DS down to one night feed so that she can sleep at night. I night-weaned DD at 6mths and she just woke more and then I couldn't use the boob to settle her.

Someone asked me today how many times DS2 is waking and I don't even know. He wakes some time between 10pm and midnight and is awake for generally an hour or two, before I either succeed in getting him back to sleep in his cot or give up and take him into bed. If he's in his cot, he sleeps for maybe another hour or two and we repeat the cycle. Once he ends up in our bed, I have no idea how often he wakes, none at all.

The big kids aren't too bad any more. Ds1 is better than the big girl... But wakes at like 5 or 6am. Big girl still wakes overnight, most nights.

I hate this club - the children who don't sleep club. But I belong here. I hope my membership is revoked soon... Really soon.

[veus]

I'm in this club too. Night sleep isn't too bad or maybe I'm just used to it now. I'm always woken at 1130pm no matter what I do. And abt 4am. That's good days or else it's whatever.

DD dropped 1st nap at abt 12mo. Now I think in process of dropping day naps altogether (@ 20mo). She is full on during the day so her nap time is a reprieve for me.

[Artechim]

PZ, I have Revitalise C, by Goodhealth. It is a Vit C and magnesium powder. I add it to orange juice and they have no idea.

beannaithe, interested to hear how the tart cherry goes - an aunt of mine takes it and is very impressed with it.

[PumpkinZulu]

Thanks babe. I'll have a look-see for it.

[Cass72]

So are there membership fees for this club? I have a crappy night sleeper so can I get honorary membership?

This morning I was astounded because I got up to DS2 only once during the night at 1150. I took him to the toilet and then put him back to bed. He didn't come in until 630 with a sleepy smile and a good morning mummy.

I was chuffed - yay! he slept!

Um no..... I only wish I'd taken a photo of his room. Clearly this kid was having a blast up until the wee hours of the morning. He built some pretty cool towers, did some puzzles, read some books and played with his cars before falling asleep in his tent.

Now, I have a problem. Do I take the toys out of his room so he has nothing to do in the middle of the night? Clearly he is up playing in his room at night but he's doing it quietly so I get a good night's sleep. We don't really have anywhere else to put his toys and I want my house to, at least in part, look like grown-ups live there. Does that make me a bad mum? FWIW he sleeps well during the day. I'm not about to begin to let him cut down his two hour sleep during the day on weekends. It's time for me to clean, garden, sew, read a book, cook - anything I want to do and I'm not giving it up!

I'm going to investigate this magnesium/calcium thing further. From the little bits I've read this stuff works.

Coincidently, DS1 was rambling on the other day about something he learnt at Uni to do with teenagers, magnesium and staying up late. I must learn to pay more attention to my eldest son! I'm going to pick his brains and see what he has to say and I'll report back here.