Help! Child awake for 18 hours!!

Most of the regulars on here know my daughter has had severe sleep problems for about a year.

Today, she has been awake for just over 18 hours. It is 4am Fri and she has essentially not slept since 8am yesterday (Thurs) morning.

Here is how it started. Her usual time awake is 1am to 5am each night.   She is super happy and loud when awake, lying flat on her back imagining goodness only knows what and being very noisey. She will eventually go back to sleep with no calling to us or crying. The last few nights she's been awake from 4.30am to 7 then wanting to sleep in for a few hours. I have to wake her every day to keep any form of routine. If left, she'd sleep until 9.30am, nap for 3+ hours in the day and be awake again all night.

Yesterday I woke her at 8. She was tired, sucking her muslin, rubbing her eyes etc all morning. Went down for a nap at 12.30. Only slept 40mins - usually, if left will do 3 hours. By 7 was a mess so went to bed. Slept 40mins then woke screaming thanks to night terrors from being over tired. Settled her, she slept 30mins then woke super super happy. She has been wide awake, flat on her back squealing and giggling insanely and singing from 10pm to now...4am. This is her worst night yet.

She has sometimes slept through the ngiht for up to 2 weeks in a row and yet this insomnia always returns and each time it is worse. Careful record keeping of her activities, food etc shows no reason for the times she sleeps through. She really seems to have a body clock / circadian rhythm disfunction. She is just not sleepy at night.

I've been awake all night and hardly slept the last few nights due to her noise. I hear her through earplgs. I have to go away today to cater for 30 people at a camp this weekend...I can not pull out. I am 12 weeks pregnant on top of it all. I'm scared!!

Doctors have always just laughed it off or shrugged their shoulders. She used to cope quite well with the insomnia but now she is very tired during the day. This can mean wanting to sit and suck her muslin lots, having dark circles and/or being very short-fused. Other than that, and being particularly strong willed and imaginative, she is perfectly normal during the day.

Surely this lack of sleep of hers is getting excessive? Surely SOMEONE needs to listen to us now? In the past docs, paeds, sleep specialists have all just strugged their shoulders and told us they don't know. Sedatives have been refused due to her age (phenergan doesn't work). Where do I turn? Surey this can not go on...surely it will affect her development??

Sorry to rant.

aww hun i relly had hope her sleep props had worked themseleves out big hun

Is there anything natural/herbal that is a sleep remedy? I mean, anything is worth a try at this rate. Sorry you're having to go through this without getting any answers.

I have nothing helpful to offer but just wanted to say **hugs** I think you are amazing, if Hayden does more than one wake up I feel shattered the next day, hard work!!!!

How much physical activity is she getting during the day?

Brooke never needed much sleep and the only way I could get her to sleep more than about eight hours in a 24 hour period from about a year old was to physically wear her out.

I recall at about 18 months thinking nothing of taking her for a 1km walk after dinner, with her walking that whole distance. In addition she had a long period of time at the playground or similar each day and as we have good indoor/outdoor flow she could easily go outside and use the swing, slide, seesaw, sandpit, ride her trike or just run around.

When you have a townhouse and the living area is upstairs you don't get a lot of opportunity to wear yourself out.

Just a thought!

Hi i really feel for you.... have you tried a naturolapth you may have already. I'm not sure where you are in Auckland but there is a naturolath at mother well in mt eden who is excellent. Check out their web site www. mother-well.co.nz

Mother -well specialise in woman and children's health. Maybe a herbal or mineral supplement could help.???

Hugs Fiona, you must be at your wits end. I know you've tried dozens of things so really hope the professionals can give you some answers.

And I hope she crashed today!

Oh you poor thing.

I haven't had huge sleep problems but I like others suggest a naturopath or Bach flowers.
YOU might need a special Bach flower rememdy so you feel you can cope better with it, believe me it helps. I had 2 toddlers and myself on them at one stage.

Do you think she can lie still enough for some Osteo?

You definately don't need this while you are pg.

It'sa huge shame that "experts" are less than helpful.

Hopefully that will help sort the problems out, and I hope you can get it done before the baby comes too. Good luck to both of you, I hope it works

That's great that you've had a referral and hopefully the sleep programme will do the trick. I think anyone who manages to function on continued broken sleep is amazing as I sure can't - so big ups to you. Good luck.