AIBU to let four year old DS drink some of my Koppaburg?

[MyScaryHairyMary]

I know this sounds so unreasonable, but I feel so sleep deprived and I think I'm going crazy. My DS has been up for three nights now, he just doesn't sleep for more than four hours and never naps. My mum says to give him a little tipple to help him. Eyeing up my bottle of Koppaburg and wondering if I should give him a little sip? I literally don't know what else to do to get him to sleep

[LouKout]

No dont give him anything.

If this is not a usual occurrence i'd get him checked by GP (and he will.sleep eventually).

[AlecTrevelyan006]

Four year olds should not be given alcohol.

[Porpoiselife]

I wouldn't advise alcohol no. I also am a bit at all the posts advising you to drug him! That is worse than a sip of cider!

[smartiecake]

What sort of bedtime routine do you have?

[smartiecake]

I assume your son is at school?
Does he really only sleep 4 hours in a 24 hour period? And no naps?

[Astoria7974]

A spoonful of whiskey ir brandy would do the trick, but don't tell your dc what it is. Just call it medicine.

[Iamastonished]

When OH used to travel long haul all the time he had terrible jetlag. The doctor wouldn't prescribe melatonin. He gave him sleeping tablets instead.

[dementedpixie]

Medised is not banned, just not made any more

[dementedpixie]

Medised got changed to over 6 years old too. It wasnt discontinued due to drugging children and the age guide was changed due to it and other medicines causing side effects and hallucinations in children

[ICancelledTheCheque]

Pencilvester

Hope you're on the road to recovery now.

[ICancelledTheCheque]

Do NOT give him alcohol - do you even have to ask?? It's illegal and dangerous.

Melatonin is fine for adults (I take it) but not for children. ANYTHING that isn't prescribed by a GP will be bad for your kids - what if he had a reaction to it and you'd have to admit to drugging him? He'd be carted straight off by SS.

IIRC even Medised is banned in the U.K. now and I used to give it to my children as babies to help them sleep when they had fever!

Sleep deprivation is awful but speak to your GP/HV - don't self prescribe!!

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Medised has been discontinued. A pp suggested it exactly because some parents were drugging their children with it every night.

Melatonin is not something I would think good for long term use because it can disrupt hormones I would imagine this particularly true in puberty. Definitely something to discuss with the gp.

[IloveBanff]

All the people suggesting the OP's mum has him overnight - you do realise it her who suggested "a little tipple" don't you? If she agreed to have him, have a guess at what she'd do to get him to sleep, it's obvious surely!

[BumbumMcTumtum]

Melatonin IS naturally occurring but 1) it should be prescribed
2) it's not routinely prescribed in the U.K.
3) it is not safe to give unprescribed drugs of any kind to anyone.

[BumbumMcTumtum]

There's too much sugar in kopparberg. It may have the opposite effect.

Don't think there's going to be a quick fix to get your child to sleep

[user1485196412]

Doctors definitely can prescribe it for children.

[FriendofBill]

I thought melatonin is naturally occurring and safe.

[Pencilvester]

My mother used to give me a glass of sherry before bed to make me sleep when I was wee. I am an alcoholic. Not sure if the two are related: draw your own conclusions.

[RebelRogue]

Has he been sleeping well before this OP? How is he during the day? Cranky,tired,moody etc.?
Go see your GP as 4 hours out of 24 is not normal or healthy(for no reason) for either of you.

[southall]

I dont recommend melatonin to kids, but it occurs naturally in food, although the amounts are tiny compared to tablet form.

Pineapples.Bananas.Oranges.Oats.Sweet corn.Rice.Tomatoes.Barley.

Im not sure if Testosterone and oestrogen occur in food.

[Artus]

I feel the need to point out in defence of grandmothers that it was not common practice when my children were small (1980s) to give alcohol to babies, nor would my own mother aged 82 have dreamt of giving it to me. It might have been possible to purchase gripe water with alcohol in it but it certainly wasn't common place to use it or to give children a nip of brandy.

[Klaphat]

Can't believe at least one person is suggesting giving unprescribed melatonin to a small child. How do you know that's not going to fuck up his natural melatonin production in the long term and make everything worse? Testosterone and oestrogen are also naturally produced by the body, do you think it's safe to give your child those without medical input?

[southall]

Doctors do prescribe melatonin in the UK. It's a naturally occurring hormone

I dont think its a good idea to give it to kids. Infact my bottle of tablet says dont give to children.

www.news-medical.net/news/20150226/Researchers-warn-doctors-parents-not-to-give-melatonin-drug-to-control-sleep-problems-in-children.aspx

[pinkopal]

Doctors do prescribe melatonin in the UK. It's a naturally occurring hormone.

Go to the Doctor. Try everything. Don't give your child cider

[Justaboy]

My gran used to fill me up almost with brandy to make me sleep it did seem i was somewhat hyperactive but this was back around 1952 so;!

Seemed it was common practice back then.

Never ended up an alcoholic in fact I'm almost allergic to the stuff!

Sister was treated likewise and shes fine too.

Wouldn't think of giving children drugs obtained of the internet at all!

Never had the problem though with my three children.