DD1 has sensitivity to artificial sweeteners, cant find much info on this, anyone else got any experience re;NIGHT TERRORS

[haychee]

My daughter has (we think) a sensitivity to artificial sweeteners. This has not been medically diagnosed, it was just suggested as a possible cause for her severe night terrors by our health visitor some time ago. At the time i was willing to try anything to get her to have calmer nights and so stopped her intake of these sweeteners immediately. This had the desired effect within 2days of stopping! I was actually amazed that this stuff could do this kind of thing and that the diagnosis or assumption was actually correct!
The type of thing that we had going on, were very distressed night terrors, were she would walk about the house absolutely petrified of something. She could not remember any of it in the morning. One time i coud hear her shouting and screaming and i went in her room to find her trying to scratch her way through the wall! It was very upsetting for me at the time and was far more of an incident than a normal nightmare or bad dream that we all have from time to time. It was very scary because i didnt ever want to leave her with a babysitter or anything, also she appeared to be completely awake and you could talk to her and she would answer but she was actually asleep. It was most bizarre. Also she would be very tired the next day. And it could happen up to 5 or 6 times a night.
Ive tried to look for this kind of information ever since we discovered this sensitivity but cant find very much to do with the effects on sleep. I have however found alot of info on various other side effects of sweeteners especially aspartame. I think my friends think i am making it all up and am being overly protective. I really didnt want to be a mother that fretted over the children but i am certain that this is the cause of the severe night terrors.
It appears to be that once she has had several days of being allowed to have foods and drinks with the sweeteners in, that the side effects kick in. The odd drink at a party for example doesnt seem to have any effect.
Im really looking for anyone with a similar experience or for any further information.

[WideWebWitch]

No experience re sweeteners (although I don't have them in the house) but ds did have night terrors, I'll see if I can find the thread, hang on.

[FirenzeandZooey]

Sorry I haven't any information about night terrors but I can certainly agree about aspartame causing wild behavioural problems. The one time ds had some, he had the worst tantrum I have ever seen him have, not long afterwards. I have never seen him so distressed and unable to be calmed by any usual method. It was appalling and has never been repeated - I make damn sure he doesn't have artificial sweeteners now.

I gave them up years ago myself because they give me pounding headaches.

[WideWebWitch]

here you go, ignore my crapping on and look at the night terror advice and links

It was night terrors in my ds and it disappeared as suddenly as it came.

[Leati]

Night Terrors are the absolute most scary thing ever. My middle son started screaming in the middle of night, out of the blue. I went to wake him up but his eyes were wide open and yet he didn't appear to recognize anyone. When I tried to comfort him, he stiffened and screamed about spiders. For the next 20 minutes I tried to wake him to no prevail. I was nearly hysterical with fear. I thought he was having some form of seizure. From my perspective as parent, my child was extremely terrified and I couldn't comfort him. I had never heard of night terrors but by the time he outgrew them, I had gained more knowledge. They are not a dream, but instead they happen in deep sleep. The child never remembers and is not traumatized my the experience but the parent often is.

Incidently, my son frequently had severe headaches the next day. And was diagnosed with having childhood migranes.

[Piffle]

My mother always though artificial sweetners were poison
I've avoided tham all my life

Beware of them in toothpaste and kids medicines too though if your dd is that sensitive.

I think there are a million reasons for avoiding sweeteners esp aspartame and saccharine/nutrasweet.

people think i'm a bit precious, but that's my choice as a parent

[Leati]

A little more about night terrors is children usually out grow them around five or six. My son's started tappering off, slowly.

[katelyle]

My dd used to fight me and scream for her "other mummy" That used to scare me rigid!. Not aspartame related, thought -I have always been very anti artificial sweeteners. We know the dmamge that sugar can do, people have been using it for thousands of years. We've only had aspartame for a decade or two!

[haychee]

Thanks.
Just brefly looked through thread will read through thoroughly in a bit. Sounds very similar type of behaviour. One time i remember she was so distressed and shouting for me with some urgency. I stood there at the bed comforting her and she was still calling out for me and appeared to be looking past me or through me.
Nasty! and a bit freaky.
I did wonder maybe it was just coincidence that at the time i stopped the sweeteners the night terrors just stopped for some other reason and have let her try sweeteners from time to time, but after a few days of increased intake the scary nights start up again so im sure it must be them that cause it.
I wonder if she`ll ever grow out of this allergy maybe?

[Leati]

Night Terrors is not usually caused by food, it is similar to sleep walking. It happens in the same part of sleep and has many similarities. It can be genetic so if you or your husband sleep walk or have had night terror yourself, this is the most likely cause. Also children who have them are at increased odds of having them when running a fever.

[Enid]

Night terrors are frightening you have my sympathy

Perhaps keeping a closer eye on what she watches or hears in the news might help, rahther htan assumign it is food related?

[haychee]

No dh or me never have sleep walked, we do talk in our sleep though. DD2 has never woken or had a bad dream or anything resembling DD1s behaviour at night.
I do have a bit of a battle on my hands when they go to grandmas or anybody elses house because they will give her anything they like dispite me having told them not to give her sweeteners! Grandma especially doesnt seem to understand the difference between sugar and sweeteners! Drives me mad! So for a quiet life i just let them get on with it and hope for the best when shes home and in bed. Also, she sees friends etc being allowed fizzy drinks or average sugar free squash (with sweeteners) and so if im not there to keep an eye on her she will say shes allowed to have it!

[haychee]

enid
That has absolutely nothing to do with it! It was some time ago, that this diagnosis was made, it has nothing to do with watching the news! Everyone has a bad dream from time to time about that type of thing, but this is different.

[grouchyoscar]

No experience of night terrors. I suffer with insomnia and I now know that is related to caffine.

I am sensitive to aspartame (nutrasweet) it flares up my MS symptoms. I can time an exaccerbation down to within 2 hours of having the stuff.

I have removed it from my diet totally. It's in so much stuff though inc yoghurts and even crisps.

Pure juice with fizzy water is better than fizzy sugar free pop anyway

[Leati]

Well one thing is for sure, artificle sweetners are unhealthy so no matter how you look at it you are doing the best thing for your child.
Have you ever tried Splenda?

[katelyle]

Night terrror are comletely different from nightmares - and aren't
as far as I know related to tv or scary books or anything. My dd had both, and I always knew what had triggered a nightmare. The night terrors came out of the blue.

[katelyle]

I would just use sugar or honey, but use it as litle as possible and make sure that there's plenty of exercise and tooth cleaning. Why add anything artificial to a child's diet if there's a natural alternative?

[haychee]

Yes this is the trouble, they seem to be in most foods and drinks especially the so called child friendly "sugar free" stuff! Its hard work, looking and checking everything i buy or allow her to have, and she does get upset when she is not allowed certain things and her friends are! She doesnt remember the night terrors and so has to take my word for it that she cant have this stuff because...

How do you all cope with this if you dont allow sweeteners at all for whatever other reason. Do you have battles with your children over it?

[Enid]

mine dont have any sweeteners at home

we dont eat them at all

they are piss-easy to avoid

[Enid]

but I am pretty relaxed about sugar so it just isnt a problem

[Piffle]

agree the food we buy is in no danger of containing sweeteners

Rocks squash
decent yoghurts
fruit
meat n veg
...

[Leati]

Have you tried Splenda. It is not like traditional artificial sweetners because it is derived from sugar. It is a good alternative to sugar with out the health risk of other sweetners.

[Enid]

normal ribena
fruit juice
veg, fruit, meat, yogurts, ice cream etc

[katelyle]

I've never had a problem avoiding them, apart from ds's inexplicable longing for diet coke!

[tatt]

never before heard of night terrors caused by sweeteners but avoiding them at home is no different to avoiding any other problem food. Cook from scratch when you can, read labels avidly when you're sick of home cooking. Food intolerances are sometimes related to how much you eat - so if a problem food is only eaten once in 4 days (a rotational diet) you may get away with it.

I know children who have problems from the dirty dozen and especially from orange flavourings/ colourings. You can ask people to give them milk or water to drink.

[haychee]

Thanks Tatt. I think im looking for reassurance that im doing the right thing for my child. I do feel so mean sometimes when she cant have the same as the rest of her friends, but one little bit every now and again isnt a problem so i shouldnt be so worried. But then again she spends alot of time elsewhere and i do tell some people but they look at me as if im obsessed and she reports later that she did infact have something i know contains sweeteners.