# Sleep drugs for baby??



## thatblondegirl (Jan 16, 2008)

so a little while ago i posted about my cousin complaining about her son's sleeping habits. i was BLASTED! lol but that's besides the point.

so today i was talking to her and she told me that her doctor gave her sleep medicine for the BABY, to help him establish a sleeping routine. now, this 1yo goes to sleep on his own, but wakes up around 2am. she goes in and he goes back to sleep, but then wakes up about an hour later. does this until morning.

i didn't say anything. didn't give my opinion on this at all. i just said "cool". but i definitely think that this is FAR from cool! i understand that some kids need sleep meds, but THIS kid does not. he is sleeping. just not how she wants him to.

what do you think of this?


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## Freefromitall (Sep 15, 2008)

um? That it's wrong to drug your kids into a desired sleep schedule? And that the "dr" she's taking him to should be reported?


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## Nolamom (Jan 29, 2008)

What medicine was he suggesting?

This must be common advice and accepted in the medical community - my kids ped (awesome medical dr., but don't follow or agree with much of his parenting advice...) once suggested I give my dd benadryl for up to 4 nights in a row at a time to get her used to sleeping through the night. I chose not to follow this piece of advice... my dd has still never needed benadryl and she's 5!

Even though this tactic isn't for me, I have to reserve judgement until I learn what medicine he is suggesting/prescribing.


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## thatblondegirl (Jan 16, 2008)

i asked her what it was and she said she didn't know. it was at the pharmacy getting filled. and i doubt i'll ask her about it again! lol


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

^HUGE DITTO^

his sleep habits are normal. My DD did this when ever she was cutting new teeth and when she was she had her first few bursts of speech development. She did it around a year when she started walking and around 15-18 months when cutting molars, and when she started talking a lot. I think she slept better her first year then her second!! then one day, she just started sleeping perfect.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

You don't live with them, you don't know what's really going on (but every hour from 2 am till what? 7 am? and assuming it takes at least ten minutes or so to get him settled - they have both got to be exhausted). I am not in any way saying that "drugging" your child is a first resort when they're not sleeping well, but I do have a family member who eventually did give her child something (I forget what, it was several years ago and before I had kids, so I wasn't as tuned into the specifics as I would be now) to help him sleep because he had just become a nightmare. Not only was he not sleeping and screaming all night, but he was just MISERABLE all the time. The child needed sleep. Sleep IS a NEED. Once he started to GET some sleep, he was more able to respond to the normal things that help people get into a sleep pattern.

I'd also be curious as to what this "sleep medicine" is before I got too huffy about it.

I think you should be less invested in the sleep habits and situations of your cousin (or husband's cousin's wife, or whoever she is) and her child. You don't live there, there's nothing you can do about it, and it's their situation to work out.

You haven't been "blasted" - it's just that not everyone agrees with you.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

and I wouldnt even agree with benedryl. I dont agree with giving any medicine you dont need to give (im sure thats no surprise to anyone hre I dont think its right to do much of anything to a child that isnt neccessary) aside from waking for teething, I think its good for them to wake during developmental milestones and I wonder if it might be detrimental some how if they didnt and were forced by medication to sleep through it. I guess they would have to do some reseearch on that to see if there is any importance in why children wake frequently during these times. not all children do, but who knows, maybe some _need_ to.


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## Kappa (Oct 15, 2007)

He's 12 mo? This is ridiculous, getting him dependent on drugs this early. I have a 10.5 mo old whose teething and standing (and yes, he does it at 2am some nights) and I would be worried if he STTN. When he starts walking, I fully expect him to get up and need to do that in the middle of the night, it was the same with his other milestones.


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## mamarootoo (Sep 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NiteNicole* 
(but every hour from 2 am till what? 7 am? and assuming it takes at least ten minutes or so to get him settled - they have both got to be exhausted).

I'd also be curious as to what this "sleep medicine" is before I got too huffy about it.

my DD woke up every 45 minutes to an hour for her first 18 months, and i never gave her, or WANTED to give her any medication. some kids wake up a lot. that doesn't mean there's something wrong with them!

also, the fact that the mother doesn't know what kind of medication she's giving her child seems like a good reason to get "huffy" to me!

it seems to me that the OP has every right to be upset about what her cousin is doing. if you look at the posts on MDC, a lot of them are about what other people are doing and why the poster is upset about it. this is a place where naturally-minded parents who are upset by things mainstream parents think of as normal can come to look for validation, support and a place to vent.

and to the OP, yikes. i really can't imagine a mother not knowing what medication she was giving her child. we think twice for tylenol!







:


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Wow - I'd kill for that kind of sleep with my 16 month old. She slept for 5 hours in a row ONCE and I was amazed. It sounds like a normal sleep pattern for a baby to me, and I think it's really scary that the doctor prescribed something for sleep in a baby! Regardless of what it is... I "drug" DD sometimes to help her sleep, but it's Tylenol or Motrin for pain!


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

my daughter used to get up at 4 in the morning sime nights and stay up for 3 hours talking to me in spanish and english (she is learning both languages) and then go back to sleep. I was of course tired, an I admit I fell asleep a few times while she was "talking" to me (a lot of counting everyhting in spanish and naming body parts in english) and she would jump on me and wake me up lol. those were some of the most precious moments, though yes, very tiring. And the waking up every hour when she did that was a real drain too - especially since I have an older child who doesnt nap and has endless energy when he is awake.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

Quote:

my DD woke up every 45 minutes to an hour for her first 18 months, and i never gave her, or WANTED to give her any medication. some kids wake up a lot. that doesn't mean there's something wrong with them!
I hear ya. I have a three year old who still doesn't sleep through the night (I've been up since five am, because she was congested so I sat up and rocked her while she slept). She also had reflux and has had long stretches of waking ever 45 9and sometimes 20) minutes for weeks on end. I know it's hard to go without sleep and I know some kids, like mine, are just not good sleepers.

Quote:

also, the fact that the mother doesn't know what kind of medication she's giving her child seems like a good reason to get "huffy" to me!
My daughter was on several different prescriptions to deal with her reflux at different times. I would go home, go online, find all the info I could and two hours later I still couldn't always remember the name of the drug. Sleep deprevation did not do good things for my memory. Then again, I'm also on meds myself for high BP. I have the name written down in my wallet because I can never remember the name. I don't know why drug names need to sound like a random collection of sounds - couldn't they give them names somewhat related to what they do? Anyway, that's another thread for another day.

Me? I'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt and I admit, I am really starting to have issues with all the posts about "oh you won't believe what a horrible parent THIS person is" - it's one thing to ask if it's a situation where you should speak up, but there are just so many us v. them posts and they wear me down.


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Super Glue Mommy* 
and I wouldnt even agree with benedryl. I dont agree with giving any medicine you dont need to give

But what if the child is not getting the sleep that they need to function? Sleep is important. I'm in no position to judge this mom, but I don't doubt there are some toddlers on this planet who could benefit from sleep medication. Bad sleep often begets more bad sleep. It can be an incredibly difficult cycle to break.

Our kids have certainly had interrupted sleep because of teething, colds, milestones, etc. I'm not for drugging kids either, but we've always been able to find a way to make sure that our kids got the sleep that they needed. It sometimes took weeks to get it figured out, but we always found a way. Certainly though, others have situations far worse than what we've faced.


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## mamarootoo (Sep 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NiteNicole* 

Me? I'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt and I admit, I am really starting to have issues with all the posts about "oh you won't believe what a horrible parent THIS person is" - it's one thing to ask if it's a situation where you should speak up, but there are just so many us v. them posts and they wear me down.

i can understand being worn down by the "us vs. them posts" but that doesn't make them any less valid. some people don't know anyone IRL who understands or supports natural parenting. shouldn't those people have a place where they can vent?

anyway, that's all i'll say on the matter


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

different children need different amounts of sleep. the problem is medication gets prescribed because the child isnt getting someones opinion ofhowm uch sleep children that age need in general. we also dont know how much this child sleeps during the day. sometimes more naps can promote better night sleep. sometimes less naps can. some kids go through phases where they only need a little sleep. some kids sleep more if they go to bed earlier or later. some kids sleep better if you give them a bath a few hours before bed instead of right before, and some kids if its right before do better. we dont know what else this mother has tried of course, or what time the child goes to sleep. if the baby goes to bed at 8, and naps during the day, its probably in the range of normal for its age. the child also isnt NOT sleeping, the child is just waking up frequently. If this is a child who was left to CIO that could play a roll in the frequent night wakings. and if not, it may just be developmental. I am not against it IF IT IS NEEDED. but needed would be this child going to bed at 10, waking up at 2, and not going back to sleep at all. needed would be this parent tried everything else to remedy the situation. needed would be this child is experiencing developmental delays or severe crankiness due to not getting enough sleep. I am against giving it when it isnt needed, and the original post sounds as if it is not, that it is just being used to develop a sleep routine. you could assume the OP is lying about the child not needing it, but to me that is irrelevant. I am speaking based on how it was presented to me, that if what the OP says is true, then I dont think its appropriate to give sleep meds.

also, not remembering the name of the meds a few hours later is different then being at the pharmacy getting it filled and not knowing what it was. and even so, it obviously wasnt benedryl, or the mother would remember that, sleep deprived or not, she would at least remember "oh its that stuff you can give kids for cold and allergies.. cant remember the exact name right now... they sell it over the counter but I'm getting it from the pharmacist so my insurance covers it" or whatever.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamarootoo* 
i can understand being worn down by the "us vs. them posts" but that doesn't make them any less valid. some people don't know anyone IRL who understands or supports natural parenting. shouldn't those people have a place where they can vent?

anyway, that's all i'll say on the matter









ditto - and if you dont like these types of posts you dont have to participate in them


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## thatblondegirl (Jan 16, 2008)

thank you for the support!! i really appreciate that people understand where i am coming from.

and for what it's worth, my cousin is the one who tells me this stuff. i don't ask her as i honestly don't want to know. also, her son is totally fine and happy thru the day. so his "lack of sleep" doesn't adversely affect HIM in any way. it is just annoying to his parents.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

Lack of sleep can really get to parents but if I'm basing my opinion on everything you have said this is more then just a lack of parental sleep issue. its more of an inappriopriate expectations of babies and small children issue - the kind of thing that carriers on throughout a childs life where parents are always expecting them, sometimes forcing them, to be at a point in their life they are not ready for. I wonder if this thinking correlates with the rise of teen pregnancies - a society that is growing up with unrealistic expectations becing pressured and forced into meeting them growing up to think that this pressure to do something you are not ready to is normal and acceptable. Of course, this is more of one of my crazy over reaching theories, but I don't think its a totally blind concept either.


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## SunshineJ (Mar 26, 2008)

I'm not at her house, so I don't know the entire situation of why she and the dr would feel this were warranted for a 12 month old baby. Honestly it was my understanding that there's nothing safe or available out there sedative wise for children under 10. Can you find out what the name of the meds is?

K.


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## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

Melatonin maybe? It's OTC though.


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## leerypolyp (Feb 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karne* 
Melatonin maybe? It's OTC though.

yeah, i was gonna say the same. melatonin is not the same thing as "sleep drugs". not a sedative. it's otc but you might have to get a toddler dose from a pharmacy.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

i think there is a time and place for helping a child sleep. I had a kid that slept like that and it just about pushed me over the edge. She was sick, underweight and dangerously clumsy. The things with babies is that once they are over tired the start a vicious cycle of not being able to sleep because they are so tired and wound up. sometimes a mild sedative for a few nights can totally break that cycle and enable the child to get the sleep they need naturally. but I think it is also very important to evaluate the environment, diet and routiens of the child along with the medication. I hope her Dr. is doing all of that as well.

I ended up using valarian and the results were amazing. my child slept for the first time ever and within a week was sleeping so much better without the help of the herbs. within a few months she put on weight, became more coordinated and stopped injuring her self so often and hasn't been sick since. crazy stuff but she was in such a cycle of sleep deprivation that she just couldn't break out of it.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

unless there is a true medical need, i do not condone using medicine to sleep.

but...im pretty far out there when avoiding medications. i dont like them and dont use them unless absolutely necessary.

if you care about your cousin and her son, i see nothing wrong w/ figuring out what medicine is being prescribed. a rx? ive never heart of such a thing, esp. for a 1 year old. but then again, ive never heard of a lot of things.

if a child is waking up that often, i consider that he/she has a need that isnt being met. maybe he just misses his mom and sleeping in her bed after the first time he wakes up would prevent that.

i realize this isnt for everyone but my 3 yo still cosleeps and my ds2 coslept until he was around 8...so i tend to keep my kids close at night.


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

Maybe the OP could recommend using valerian or something else instead. I've gotten prescriptions filled just to have on hand in the case that a natural rememdy just didn't suffice.

I would think that a doctor would refer a parent to a sleep specialist before giving drugs.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

we used valerian for my son during the day (not for sleep, but for caling his central nervous system) It does work great - but it can have negative long term effects which is why we discontinued use and are looking for something else... I wouldnt use it though to help a child sleep who is already sleeping...


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## LittleBlessings (May 26, 2008)

i'm unsure how I feel about giving a baby sleep drugs. I can see both sides but I do not think i would ever drug my child to sleep but Im not in that persons shoes


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## thatblondegirl (Jan 16, 2008)

well, it turns out that it was "just" Benedryl. not sure if that makes it better in my mind though. i'm leaning towards no! lol i just think it's rather silly to introduce needless medication to a NORMAL, happy one year old baby. as i said before, he's fine thru the day. but he disrupts his parents sleep.

such is the life of a parent of a young'un i think. but that's just MY opinion.

also, couldn't he develop a dependancy on it and NOT be able to sleep without it? i just think that there are so many things that just aren't quite right with THIS situation. he's not that bad of a sleeper. he seems pretty normal to me!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I was reading a magazine in a waiting room about 6 months ago, and it had a statistic about what percentage of the time that a pediatrician prescribes sleep medications to a child who doesn't STTN. I don't remember exactly the percentage, but it was somewhere around 70 or 80.


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## thatblondegirl (Jan 16, 2008)

i guess it depends on the age. i wouldn't balk as much if her son was 3 or 4 years old and still not sleeping well. but her son is only ONE YEAR old. i just think that he's so very young to expect him to STTN. he's going thru so many developmental milestones right now and his little brain is working overtime!

i just think it's so normal for him to be like this. i feel sad that he is being drugged into submission, basically.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
I was reading a magazine in a waiting room about 6 months ago, and it had a statistic about what percentage of the time that a pediatrician prescribes sleep medications to a child who doesn't STTN. I don't remember exactly the percentage, but it was somewhere around 70 or 80.

I am really stunned by the entire concept, and acceptance, of it. Our ped wouldn't in a million years do that. Cold medicine isn't safe for babies, how can sleep meds be?

I admit - I have a pretty horrible sleeper and there have been nights I'd kill to be able to drug her to sleep, but it just seems so scary to me.

Weird.

I'm honestly not judging; I'm just really surprised.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

benedryl makes me loopy... though, im sure when I was 1 if my mom gave it to me I wouldnt have been able to tell her that. for a healthy happy 1 year old, yes I understand its hard for the parents, but not worth the risk to a childs health and development to use medicine to induce sleep.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

Quote:

it had a statistic about what percentage of the time that a pediatrician prescribes sleep medications to a child who doesn't STTN. I don't remember exactly the percentage, but it was somewhere around 70 or 80.
First, I'd want to know if the drug was FOR SLEEP or for another issue that might be causing sleeplessness (reflux, allergies, whatever). Second, I find that hard to believe as of the bazillion or so people I know with children, I know one person who has actually been given a prescription for a drug JUST to help the child sleep. One. Seems like we'd all know a lot more if 7 out of 10 babies with sleeping problems were being given prescription sleep drugs.

I just reread this and it sounds kind of aggressive. I wanted to add that if I'd read the article, I'd have had those questions. I'm not demanding you go dig up the article and give me some facts or anything. Although I kind of would like to know, I just can't think how to google something like that.


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## Bell (Jan 20, 2009)

NiteNicole said:


> You don't live with them, you don't know what's really going on (but every hour from 2 am till what? 7 am? and assuming it takes at least ten minutes or so to get him settled - they have both got to be exhausted). I am not in any way saying that "drugging" your child is a first resort when they're not sleeping well, but I do have a family member who eventually did give her child something (I forget what, it was several years ago and before I had kids, so I wasn't as tuned into the specifics as I would be now) to help him sleep because he had just become a nightmare. Not only was he not sleeping and screaming all night, but he was just MISERABLE all the time. The child needed sleep. Sleep IS a NEED. Once he started to GET some sleep, he was more able to respond to the normal things that help people get into a sleep pattern.[/QUOTE
> i agree with that. I don't mean to give kids drugs, I like natural medicine and so on, but we don't know exactly what it's going on and what medicine is that. Hope they're okay.


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## leerypolyp (Feb 22, 2005)

Hmm. Benadryl.

I know a lot of kids who have a paradoxical reaction to Benadryl, wherein they get really agitated and hyper. And, um, can't sleep.

I hope they're able to get the sleep they need. That sleep pattern wouldn't have been a big deal for us as we were cosleeping (nursed back to sleep without me waking up), but I ain't them, yk? I will cop to having used melatonin to re-set a screwed- up sleep cycle in a 2yo, anyway...


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freefromitall* 
um? That it's wrong to drug your kids into a desired sleep schedule? And that the "dr" she's taking him to should be reported?

I think this too. I am a little surprised they are working to because a lot of medicine that works on adults has the oppossite effect on kids. I think you did a great job of just listening though. I don't think I could have with something like that.


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## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

So what's everyone's opinions on Dr. Sears mentioning drugs to encourage STTN?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Little grey mare* 
So what's everyone's opinions on Dr. Sears mentioning drugs to encourage STTN?

Link?


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## betsyj (Jan 8, 2009)

In The Baby Book Dr. Sears does mention that if a family is becoming so sleep deprived that everyone is at risk he would consider it.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *betsyj* 
In The Baby Book Dr. Sears does mention that if a family is becoming so sleep deprived that everyone is at risk he would consider it.

Huh. I would say we qualify on his terms then. Our ped disagrees. I'll have to go look through the book - I don't remember reading that.

Of course, he also said that they somehow (he doesn't say how) cut back night nursings with his high needs baby to 3 a night at around 9 months because that's what worked for them. Um, right. How exactly?! I can't get my 16 month old to do that!


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

Quote:

my DD woke up every 45 minutes to an hour for her first 18 months, and i never gave her, or WANTED to give her any medication. some kids wake up a lot. that doesn't mean there's something wrong with them!
Some parents still function well with little to no sleep, but please remember that armies use sleep deprivation to torture prisoners for a reason. Most people will "crack" if sleep deprived for long enough. Sleep deprivation contributes to irritability, depression and a host of other things that aren't good for parents to be dealing with.

It's unlikely that I'd drug a child for sleep unless it was a serious medical issue on their part. My oldest was a terrible sleeper and I got through it. But let's not jump to judge another parent and decide what they can handle.


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## Super Glue Mommy (Jan 4, 2009)

and we also dont know what time they put this child to bed for the night. maybe the child is being put to bed too early. maybe if the parents put the child to bed later, when they were going to bed, the child would sleep until 7am with no problem. IT just sounds like from the OP these parents didnt try anything else, and if thats the case I think they should have. we can't assume they didnt, we cant assume they did either. I am only saying based on what the OP said, this is not okay. just like it wouldnt be okay for a parent to beat their child just because "we dont know what its like for them, maybe their kid was really trying their patience" i understand parents need to find a way to keep their sanitty- but there is nothing sane in giving a child sleep medicine that it doesnt need (which it doesnt sound like this child need. the PARENTS need more sleep MAYBE. I understand that. but the child DOESNT and so they are FORCING their child to sleep more. It's unnatural.


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## Lisa1970 (Jan 18, 2009)

There are a lot of things that people do that I think is rotten.

Do you think she really wanted your opinion? Or was she just sharing what is going on with her? If there is a chance she wanted your opinion, maybe you could sort of gently give a little and see how she responds. If she seems open, then expand on it. If not, then this is yet another case where you need to sit back and let it go. Hard, I know. But...just the way things are.

There is plenty others do that I cannot stand..like the flu and chicken pox vaccinations. Sometimes, I will tell them some facts about it..like the fact that the chicken pox vaccination is made from aborted human babies. But for the most part, no one ever listens. No one ever cares, and they do what they want anyway.


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## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

Dr. Sears brings up this topic in the back of his Nighttime Parenting book. I found it interesting and honestly, until I recently read that, I had never even heard of such a thing.


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## AbbieB (Mar 21, 2006)

You gotta love our culture. "Just say No to drugs!" unless of course they make life more convenient and your doctor says it's OK.

Sorry, I know that comment is snarky.

I am surprised to hear a doctor suggesting OTC meds for sleep help. I thought there was a big thing in the news lately about not giving any children under 3 any kind of cough or cold medication for any reason? I personally would be worried about side effects in such a small child.


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## DivineMrsM (Dec 19, 2008)

that would be my concern as well. how does that mom know what the affect (long or short) would be on that baby? isn't she, in effect, setting up that baby for an addiction to sleep meds? there is a strong possibility that he will become dependant on the Benedryl and not be able to sleep without it! which in itself is obviously problematic!

i just shake my head at people sometimes.


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *leerypolyp* 
Hmm. Benadryl.

I know a lot of kids who have a paradoxical reaction to Benadryl, wherein they get really agitated and hyper. And, um, can't sleep.

I hope they're able to get the sleep they need. That sleep pattern wouldn't have been a big deal for us as we were cosleeping (nursed back to sleep without me waking up), but I ain't them, yk? I will cop to having used melatonin to re-set a screwed- up sleep cycle in a 2yo, anyway...

DS did the opposite too. Mom kept trying to push it for DS and I was like, no way!! He is hyperactive and didn't sleep through the night for the longest time, probably 4 or 5, and he was up a lot. His infant stage was like a black blur to me, I was so sleep deprived and I could not function; it was like I was dead on my feet the whole time. Recently, now that he's 6.5, we've been trying melatonin and it works wonders. I wish I had of knew that was all he needed (doesn't do a thing for DD but she goes with the rhythm of the house so I'm not worried about her bad sleep habits).

For a baby, no, no meds. That is just crazy. I know DH would have loved such a thing but it's just not right.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NiteNicole* 
First, I'd want to know if the drug was FOR SLEEP or for another issue that might be causing sleeplessness (reflux, allergies, whatever). Second, I find that hard to believe as of the bazillion or so people I know with children, I know one person who has actually been given a prescription for a drug JUST to help the child sleep. One. Seems like we'd all know a lot more if 7 out of 10 babies with sleeping problems were being given prescription sleep drugs.

I just reread this and it sounds kind of aggressive. I wanted to add that if I'd read the article, I'd have had those questions. I'm not demanding you go dig up the article and give me some facts or anything. Although I kind of would like to know, I just can't think how to google something like that.

Sorry I just saw this now. I dont think it was an article, actually. One of those pages in a magazine with all the miscellaneous factoids. But I clearly remember it said "walked out with a prescription". It didn't say "prescription for a medication intended to aid with sleep." Really, a very uninformative sort of thing. Just enough to start you thinking.

----

I hadn't realized it was an option, when my son was having the horrible sleep issues, to give him something to help him sleep. If it could have caught him up many weeks sooner on enough sleep to take the extra tension out of him so that he could sleep normally, I might have considered sparing him the extra weeks of agony.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Oh, and I become very hyper from things like Nyquil that are supposed to make you sleepy.


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## VisionaryMom (Feb 20, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *phathui5* 
Some parents still function well with little to no sleep, but please remember that armies use sleep deprivation to torture prisoners for a reason. Most people will "crack" if sleep deprived for long enough. Sleep deprivation contributes to irritability, depression and a host of other things that aren't good for parents to be dealing with.

This. I have bipolar disoder, and lack of sleep is the number 1 trigger for me to go into a depressive period. I hate when people who can survive without sleep assume everyone can do that.

Perhaps your cousin could use some help. When my DD was an infant & DS was 2, I got little sleep. DD was up and down all the time, and she nursed all night. We had to alter things so that I could get 2-3 "shifts" of sleep during the week when DH was home. If your cousin doesn't have that option, perhaps she'd welcome some help, such as letting her get a full night of sleep. It may very well be that the issue is more about mom's need for mental clarity than baby's need for sleep.


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## OkiMom (Nov 21, 2007)

DH and I joke about drugging DD1 to sleep, but its just a joke. We would never follow through on it. It just comes up when its midnight and shes been up since 6am (she no longer naps) and Im about to lose my mind. It breaks the mood and gets us laughing.

As for benedryal, be careful, it might have the opposite reaction. DD got stung by a bee once and started to swell so I gave her some benedryal to hopefully stop an allergic reaction. It made her REALLY REALLY hyper. She didn't get to sleep until almost 4am, the medicine was given to her at 3pm. She bounced all over the place, wouldn't stop running around, it was crazy.


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Dd #1 woke up to nurse that often at that age. And she napped during the day.

Really, when advice like this is handed out, it's usually about helping the parents sleep, not the kids. I don't agree with drugging one person because of the needs of another, regardless of the ages and relationship.

I know someone who gave her baby Benedryl every night .


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## Materfamilias (Feb 22, 2008)

Yikes. One of those issues with no easy answers. Personally, I find it scary that drugs are being prescribed in the interest of STTN. It just seems to be a totally unrealistic, non-developmentally appropriate expectation. That said, I cannot imagine what it would be like to have depression and sleep deprivation, as one poster said. But that doesn't sound like the OP's cousin's problem. I wonder how often we at MDC hear about routine prescription of drugs or the habitual dispensing of drugs because we choose not to surround ourselves with the type of people who would do that if we can avoid it.


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## nj's_mom (Jan 13, 2009)

I've never heard of this, didn't know they (the medical establishment in general) stooped so low to give these kinds of meds to babies. Next they'll be giving ADD drugs to twelve month olds because they're too hyper!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Jessica, I have heard of that already. Particulary in babies in lower weight percentiles. They want them to stop spending so many calories.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
Jessica, I have heard of that already. Particulary in babies in lower weight percentiles. They want them to stop spending so many calories.

Eh- that should backfire. ADD meds, generally, are stimulants.

Anyway, I'm not big on sleep meds for kids or adults. Changing routines, making sure to get a good deal of active time, and daylight during waking hours, and sleeping in a darkened space would be more effective and better as a start.

A 1 year old may or may not sleep through the night. My daughter didn't STTN until she was close to 3. My son has since about 6 months. Different kids, different needs. I can't see forcing my needs to the forefront simply to avoid the inconvenience of waking up at night.


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## Heavenly (Nov 21, 2001)

Wow, all the assumptions here are mind-boggling. First, I feel very sorry for the cousin of the OP. I bet she doesn't know you complain about her on here repeatedly. That isn't really fair to her. Why don't you just tell her you don't to hear about it if it is disturbing you that much. Second, all the other posters do not know this woman or her situation. You honestly think this woman is just whining because she wants more sleep? Say she gets to sleep by 10:00pm (which isn't likely because adults do have things to do after the kids are asleep) then she is getting at the very most 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Every night. Then she gets little tidbits of sleep after that until she has to get up for the day. Repeat every single night. Maybe many of you can function like that but lots of good parents cannot. Third, you do not know if this child has a problem or not. You are only hearing one side of the story. I'm sure the OP is not with this family every second of the day to know that the child is always happy and doing fine. Maybe he isn't. Maybe he is having problems as a direct result of his lack of sleep. You don't know. Fourth, I have to drug (with melatonin, but still) my child every single night to get her to sleep. You see, she is 3 years old and has serious sleep issues. She has never slept through the night. She often sleeps only 5 hours in a 24 hour period. She will go to bed at 8pm and wake up for the day at 2am. Or she will refuse to go to bed until 11pm and then MAYBE she will sleep until 4am. If we are really lucky. Or then there are the nights when she goes to bed at 8pm and then wakes up at 1am and stays awake until 6am and then does one more little cat nap. Yep, those are good nights. Add in to that that I have bipolar disorder, severe fibromyalgia and other health problems and it's a bad combination all around. I give her melatonin to get her to at least sleep a few hours. If there was some magical drug that would make her sleep I would be banging down the pharmacist's door. I am literally astounded by the judging that is going on here about a woman whom none of you know and who you've only heard little tidbits of her life.


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## Anglyn (Oct 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamazee* 
Dd #1 woke up to nurse that often at that age. And she napped during the day.

Really, when advice like this is handed out, it's usually about helping the parents sleep, not the kids. I don't agree with drugging one person because of the needs of another, regardless of the ages and relationship.

I know someone who gave her baby Benedryl every night .

Yeah, what you said.

I personally know of a 12mo old being given drugs that are FDA approved to lower blood pressure in adults. In this case, its being used for off label use to help the kid sleep. Sounds dangerious to me and the mom says it doesnt really help her sleep, yet they continue to use it cuz the doc gave it to them....oh, except for every once in awhile when it DOES work and she cannot be woken up no matter what they do....

And ITA about our expectations. I had a friend once who went on and on and on about how bad her dd's sleep was, how late she stayed up, how she (the mom) was just so worn down she could not function. I gave every piece of advice I had, nothing worked. Finally I asked wow, just how late does she stay up? The mom said, "sometimes til NINE O CLOCK!" i said, oh, um, ok....so what time does she wake up in the morning? The mom said, "SIX!" I was really confused and asked well....does she wake up during hte night? The mom said "no, once shes out, shes out" Ummm...ok,,well, what about naps? The mom said, "she naps for two to three hours every day" so..... the kid was sleeping 12 hours a day, including nine hours through the night and the mom was ready to take her to a specialist for sleeping disorders. Why? Cuz the older child slept from 8pm to 7am and apparenlty this MOM was the one who needed ten hours a night. Not the child.


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## Freefromitall (Sep 15, 2008)

Wow, I must have been having what my dd calls a "cranky day" when I first responded to this thread months ago.








Sorry for that! I'm a little embarrassed at how hostile I sound in that reply.

Without knowing what med it is, or what other steps she's taken to adjust sleep schedules, I'm not really sure what to think.
I will say that the idea of drugging a small child to sleep would make me very uneasy. Personally.


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heavenly* 
Wow, all the assumptions here are mind-boggling. First, I feel very sorry for the cousin of the OP. I bet she doesn't know you complain about her on here repeatedly. That isn't really fair to her. Why don't you just tell her you don't to hear about it if it is disturbing you that much. Second, all the other posters do not know this woman or her situation. You honestly think this woman is just whining because she wants more sleep? Say she gets to sleep by 10:00pm (which isn't likely because adults do have things to do after the kids are asleep) then she is getting at the very most 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Every night. Then she gets little tidbits of sleep after that until she has to get up for the day. Repeat every single night. Maybe many of you can function like that but lots of good parents cannot. Third, you do not know if this child has a problem or not. You are only hearing one side of the story. I'm sure the OP is not with this family every second of the day to know that the child is always happy and doing fine. Maybe he isn't. Maybe he is having problems as a direct result of his lack of sleep. You don't know. Fourth, I have to drug (with melatonin, but still) my child every single night to get her to sleep. You see, she is 3 years old and has serious sleep issues. She has never slept through the night. She often sleeps only 5 hours in a 24 hour period. She will go to bed at 8pm and wake up for the day at 2am. Or she will refuse to go to bed until 11pm and then MAYBE she will sleep until 4am. If we are really lucky. Or then there are the nights when she goes to bed at 8pm and then wakes up at 1am and stays awake until 6am and then does one more little cat nap. Yep, those are good nights. Add in to that that I have bipolar disorder, severe fibromyalgia and other health problems and it's a bad combination all around. I give her melatonin to get her to at least sleep a few hours. If there was some magical drug that would make her sleep I would be banging down the pharmacist's door. I am literally astounded by the judging that is going on here about a woman whom none of you know and who you've only heard little tidbits of her life.

ITA My first dd only slept 2-3 hours at a time for over a year and it was awful. If my dr had suggested drugs I might have taken him up on it since I was a walking zombie. I felt horrible all the time. It has only been in the last six months or so that she has started sleeping about six hours at a time. I'm lucky that dd2 is a great sleeper, because I really don't think that I could handle another year of no sleep with trying to parent two children. Sleep deprivation is torture.


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## jivey (Feb 26, 2009)

My brother and his wife. Would give there to young ones drugs to sleep.
Liquid Motrin and Benadryl or that liquid pink stuff.
there kids did not sleep well, Because there was all ways something going on at there house. Parties ect ect.

Oh it used to make me so mad


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heavenly* 
Wow, all the assumptions here are mind-boggling. First, I feel very sorry for the cousin of the OP. I bet she doesn't know you complain about her on here repeatedly. That isn't really fair to her. Why don't you just tell her you don't to hear about it if it is disturbing you that much. Second, all the other posters do not know this woman or her situation. You honestly think this woman is just whining because she wants more sleep? Say she gets to sleep by 10:00pm (which isn't likely because adults do have things to do after the kids are asleep) then she is getting at the very most 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Every night. Then she gets little tidbits of sleep after that until she has to get up for the day. Repeat every single night. Maybe many of you can function like that but lots of good parents cannot. Third, you do not know if this child has a problem or not. You are only hearing one side of the story. I'm sure the OP is not with this family every second of the day to know that the child is always happy and doing fine. Maybe he isn't. Maybe he is having problems as a direct result of his lack of sleep. You don't know. Fourth, I have to drug (with melatonin, but still) my child every single night to get her to sleep. You see, she is 3 years old and has serious sleep issues. She has never slept through the night. She often sleeps only 5 hours in a 24 hour period. She will go to bed at 8pm and wake up for the day at 2am. Or she will refuse to go to bed until 11pm and then MAYBE she will sleep until 4am. If we are really lucky. Or then there are the nights when she goes to bed at 8pm and then wakes up at 1am and stays awake until 6am and then does one more little cat nap. Yep, those are good nights. Add in to that that I have bipolar disorder, severe fibromyalgia and other health problems and it's a bad combination all around. I give her melatonin to get her to at least sleep a few hours. If there was some magical drug that would make her sleep I would be banging down the pharmacist's door. I am literally astounded by the judging that is going on here about a woman whom none of you know and who you've only heard little tidbits of her life.

I was one of those posters that apparently "blasted" the OP in her first thread.









But I have to say, Heavenly, great post!

My DS is a terrible sleeper. He doesn't nap. Ever. He is 11 mos old and has been this way since day 1. He sleeps roughly 8 hrs a day (midnight to 8am). You read that right: he's awake from 8am to midnight with no nap. Keep in mind he's not even a year old yet. He also wakes up every single hour every single night. I'm not looking for him to sleep the whole stretch and I'm fine with night waking (heck, my DD didn't STTN until 22 mos). But when it takes him 2-3 hrs every night to fall asleep and he only sleeps 1 hr at a time and it takes him another 20 min to fall back asleep, it can make you a bit crazy.

It is extremely exhausting. My 3 yo sleeps more than he does. But it's not even about the amount of sleep but rather the quality. My DD is a good sleeper. . always has. I was one of those smug parents that somehow thought I made my kid a good sleeper. Ha! I see the light now. I'm not sure if my DS is just this way because of personality (he's very high needs and has infinite energy) or if there's something wrong. All I know is that I'm at my breaking point because I simply cannot take it anymore. I'm in the process of night-weaning him in hopes he sleeps a little longer at night. If this sleep pattern continues for much longer, I would consider trying _something_ (probably melatonin). He's just such a light sleeper than simply rolling over in bed will wake him. And he screams if you attempt to put him down without laying down with him.

Not only is it affecting me because I'm the one with the boobs, but it's affecting our entire family. DH and I don't get time together because our entire evening is devoted to putting the kid to sleep. DD gets upset because I'm "always laying down with DS". My entire freakin' day revolves around him not sleeping and its wearing on all of us. I'm a pretty laid back mom and don't maintain a schedule, so I don't even care _when_ he sleeps, I'd match my schedule to his. But as it stands, ignoring the problem and "letting him fall asleep when he's tired" just doesn't work for him like it did with my DD. He just screams and nurses and wants to be held but wiggles to get down over and over and over. He is clearly exhausted but seems to have trouble turning off his active body and mind to fall asleep and stay asleep.

I already do all the things that are supposed to make these sleep problems easier. We cosleep, we stagger our schedules so that someone is laying down next to him the entire time, I nurse him when he wakes up, etc. But seriously, something has got to change soon. I'm all out of ideas.


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## Pookietooth (Jul 1, 2002)

What if the child is awaking due to food allergies or a sleep disorder? Drugging to cover up the symptoms will not address the underlying issue. Waking every hour can be also due to heavy metals poisoning, which is quite serious.


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