Doctor keeps missing appointments!

[mrsdaz]

My son is 9 and has sleep issues whereby he doesn't sleep until after 1am, he then can't get up in the morning and I have to carry him downstairs to dress him etc. His mood swings are awful, he has developed physical and vocal ticks, school work has gone downhill, he has terrible anxiety. Cries all the time, hits out etc. I work for the nhs and am exhausted as I can't go to sleep at night until he does.

I've tried everything and I mean everything, meditation, mood lighting, early bedtime, late bedtime, baths, music, sleeping with him etc. He just lies awake and can't go to sleep. He reads in bed but I've tried just sitting there in a dark room and he still doesn't sleep.

I have seen a doctor in the past who said just go with the flow and see if he grows out of it.

I had an appointment in March which was cancelled due to lockdown. I booked another doctors appointment two weeks ago for today which was a telephone appointment. An hour after my appointment time I called the doctors to be told the doctor is too busy with emergencies to deal with my appointment and I have to wait another 3 weeks. Surely the receptionist should have called to tell me that? I took time off work to make sure i was available at this time.

I appreciate things are busy at the minute but this is having such a negative impact on our lives and there could be something serious going on.

Aibu and should just appreciate this isn't important enough? Or should the doctor have honoured an appointment that I've made weeks ago or at least got someone to call to tell me to wait longer?

The world can’t stop because of covid, there’s other aspects of life effect people that shouldn’t be turned away.

Can you change your gp and book an appointment with another doctor at the surgery? Definitely don’t let them make you think this isn’t important enough. You’ve been waiting 6 months for him to be seen, Theyre failing you and your son. Your child’s wellbeing is under stress due to not sleeping, anxiety etc. stick with it and press on, make it clear that he needs to be seen as it’s profoundly effecting him.

I’m so sorry that this is happening, you must be livid, especially working for nhs too I would at the least expect you to be not be failed in this way.

urgh this really pisses me off esp since pre covid you get stuck with £5 fine if your late and your called out as disrespectful for doing that but if a gp does it ifs all fine there were emergencies blah blah and theb you get your appointment and they won't even give you your 10mins! Just rush you out the door.

Sucks

OP - ask directly for Melatonin- it’s a natural medicine and it gets my DD to sleep (doesn’t stop her waking at 2am though) but at least she sleeps a bit

It sounds like Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, and the rest of his issues are probably just sleep deprivation related. If it is that:

Even sleep clinics may not be familiar with it, as most of their caseload is people with sleep apnoea.

It usually starts in childhood, but sometimes later; mine was triggered at university by a virus. Do not try gradually moving his sleep cycle to get it to line up with society, as this can trigger N24, which is much worse.

The best outcome is to arrange his life around it (this is lived experience from thousands of people who actually have it, including me; melatonin is not all it's cracked up to be). But plenty of daylight from spending time outdoors won't hurt, and it might shift his sleep times a bit earlier.

So in this case that would mean withdrawing him from school and letting him sleep at his natural times. He won't be learning anything in that state anyway (and it will be harming his physical and mental health and development). If you do that, he should be fine when he's awake.

www.circadiansleepdisorders.org/defs.php

Grrrr! Why are they making you wait another 3 weeks? Any chance you can call and speak to the practice manager as that sounds quite full on and it’s their error that lost your spot. Could they get the GP to refer you direct to a sleep clinic if they’re so busy?

Any other local surgeries? (we moved and it’s so much better)

Anyone at school that could help?

That sounds rough OP

I've tried everything and I mean everything, meditation, mood lighting, early bedtime, late bedtime, baths, music, sleeping with him etc. He just lies awake and can't go to sleep. He reads in bed but I've tried just sitting there in a dark room and he still doesn't sleep.

My daughter was like this at the same age. I used to feel terrible sending her to school on next to no sleep. She swims a lot so was physically tired but couldn’t mentally switch off. Melatonin worked brilliantly for her.

This warrants a complaint to the surgery.

Also consider reading up about ADHD and if necessary ask to be refered to a psychiatrist for assessment -an inability to be able to get to sleep is a common symptom. Good Luck.

@VickyBHF

Also consider reading up about ADHD and if necessary ask to be refered to a psychiatrist for assessment -an inability to be able to get to sleep is a common symptom. Good Luck.

Some people think most people diagnosed with ADHD don't actually have it, and their symptoms are all as a result of sleep deprivation from a sleep disorder instead.

I would definitely ring the Practice Manager to complain. We have had a couple of phone calls from doctors in our house recently and both were no more than 5 minutes each so they are saving time doing phone appointments.