Melatonin saved my sanity...literally

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Melatonin saved my sanity...literally
Topic Started: Jul 7 2008, 07:43 PM (180 Views)
LSM1066	Jul 7 2008, 07:43 PM Post #1
A special friend Posts: 36 Group: Members Member #269 Joined: July 6, 2008	When Kit was about 5 we did the first of many parenting courses. The woman who took the course (a fantastic woman by the name of Diane Zaccheo) gave everyone on the course a bottle of 1mg Melatonin. Up to then, Kit would go to bed around 7:30 and would be up and down the stairs with one excuse or another until he finaly fell asleep. The record was 23 times in 2 hours (isn't it awful when you start counting these things?) The effect on Kit was immediate. We gave it to him an hour before bed time and off he went at 7:30. By 8 he was snoring away happily, and best of all, instead of getting up around 4am, he slept until 6! Unfortunately the psych team in Waltham Forest refused to prescribe it, saying that we should us good sleep hygiene instead. So no TV after 6pm, reading, winding down stuff, bath, massage. Basically a solid nightly routine that taught him that it was time to go to bed. Since we had only stopped this because we had better luck getting him to sleep if he wound down in front of the telly for the last half hour or so before bed, we were a bit bemused. Still, we tried it, and after 6 months dh and I were both on Prozac! Kit, on the other hand, was still awake until 10 or 11pm and getting up by 4am. And as we all know, you have to get up with these kids. They can't be given the run of the house on their own. Sadly, our current GP won't prescribe Melatonin because it's not licensed. And I don't have the go-ahead from a paediatrician for it either. So I've started buying it online again. Now he's more than twice the size he was when he first had it, I've upped the dose to 3mg. He's been taking it for 4 days now, and dh and I are currently sitting at our respective pcs while our little angel sleeps soundly (having gone to bed 10 minutes ago). And he'll sleep until about 6:30. So to those psychiatrists who told me he probably just doesn't need more than 5 or 6 hours sleep a night and made a big deal of the fact that he behaved differently with them on his own than he did with us in the room I say this. Go back to college, actually listen in your classes, stuff the budget and actually listen to parents for a change. There isn't a 5 year old alive that can survive on 5 hours sleep a night that doesn't have something wrong with them! Alternatively, actually have kids of your own and come join us in the real world for a change. Lynne Who may have a beautiful sleeping little angel but has just finished cleaning out the bathroom after he flooded the entire room again! :rolleyes:



:Druss	Jul 7 2008, 09:12 PM Post #2
Next door neighbour Posts: 1,490 Group: Moderator Member #26 Joined: March 31, 2005	I only wish Melatonin had such great effect for us ,we tried this with Amy but most times it doesn't even touch her ,and if it does she still wakes for several hours at a time in the night , plus after a while it began having a reverse effect on her and she began to get very hyper and violent after been given it,my doctor refuse to prescribe it too until we refused to move from his office until he did !! , i am glad it works for you Amy likes to flood the bathroom too she has had my hall ceiling down twice now from flooding the bathroom :rolleyes:



:Testarossa	Jul 7 2008, 09:38 PM Post #3
Testarossa Posts: 3,938 Group: Moderator Member #5 Joined: February 26, 2005	LSM1066 Jul 7 2008, 07:43 PM So to those psychiatrists who told me he probably just doesn't need more than 5 or 6 hours sleep a night and made a big deal of the fact that he behaved differently with them on his own than he did with us in the room I say this. Go back to college, actually listen in your classes, stuff the budget and actually listen to parents for a change. There isn't a 5 year old alive that can survive on 5 hours sleep a night that doesn't have something wrong with them! Alternatively, actually have kids of your own and come join us in the real world for a change. Here here
	If you stay ready, you won't need to get ready!


:Rustic	Jul 8 2008, 07:46 AM Post #4
Bestest friend Posts: 3,420 Group: Moderator Member #75 Joined: September 1, 2005	LSM1066 Jul 7 2008, 08:43 PM Unfortunately the psych team in Waltham Forest refused to prescribe it, saying that we should us good sleep hygiene instead. So no TV after 6pm, reading, winding down stuff, bath, massage. Basically a solid nightly routine that taught him that it was time to go to bed. Since we had only stopped this because we had better luck getting him to sleep if he wound down in front of the telly for the last half hour or so before bed, we were a bit bemused. Still, we tried it, and after 6 months dh and I were both on Prozac! The problem with some professionals is that they don't see that if a problem isn't caused by lack of bedtime routine, putting one in place is never going to solve it. Its also interesting that melatonin has such a good effect. Has any of the professionals talked to you about why Kit possibly isn't making melatonin naturally, or what might be causing say stress hormones to override the normal sleep system?



LSM1066	Jul 8 2008, 07:52 AM Post #5
A special friend Posts: 36 Group: Members Member #269 Joined: July 6, 2008	Rustic Jul 8 2008, 07:46 AM Its also interesting that melatonin has such a good effect. Has any of the professionals talked to you about why Kit possibly isn't making melatonin naturally, or what might be causing say stress hormones to override the normal sleep system? Not a word. They just always put everything down to what their textbooks say. Conventional medicine doesn't have a box for "we're all individuals". I might have another try with the GP. Having said that, I've got 6 months supply now, so it can probably wait until we actually need to see him again, or we're about to run out, whichever is soonest. Meanwhile, a small blonde boy pitched up in our bedroom with breakfast in bed for us this morning! Lynne



:Rustic	Jul 8 2008, 08:43 AM Post #6
Bestest friend Posts: 3,420 Group: Moderator Member #75 Joined: September 1, 2005	The downside with melatonin is that there is sometimes a "honeymoon" period, then later the good effects seem to wear off, or it takes higher doses to maintain the same results. In Amy's case her unconscious need to remain "hypervigilant" (and stay awake) possibly led to the "need" to become hyper and aggressive to overcome it if she took it. In my own son's case fluoride poisoning was a major contributing factor, from the children's toothpaste he was using. Hypervigilance (although not as extreme as some children) together with fluoride's direct effect on the biological clock... Having said that others have removed fluoride and not seen much or any improvement in the sleep cycle, because it may only be one layer of the problem IYKWIM. Hope you enjoyed the breakfast Lynne!


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