7 year old DD constantly tired but refuses to sleep.
Blood tests have shown nothing unusual.
She is horrible. Refuses to go to holiday club, to the point she will sit and deliberately cough which sounds like a panic attack – I know it’s fake because as soon as we get in the car she’s fine. She goes to holiday club every school holiday so it’s not a new thing for her. I’ve already taken unpaid leave twice this week due to this, and holiday club have said if she does it again they’ll have to remove her place, she’s heard this and said she doesn’t want to go. If I take too much unpaid leave I’ll lose my job.
She won’t play with toys; she won’t go to her swimming lesson. – she did the fake cough thing again so the teacher said she couldn’t go in. We go for a day out and she just whinges she's bored and fed up and wants to go home, and then moans I don't do anything with her. Doesn't matter if she's picked the trip or not.
I am exhausted; I don’t sleep until she does. I shut her in her room but she just shouts to the point my downstairs neighbour complains – housing association who own my flat have said that they take complaints about children over 5 and noise at nighttime. She doesn’t want her tablet or the ps4 or the switch.
She doesn’t want to sleep. Even in my bed. I’ve tried everything; she has a blackout blind up. I’ve followed her natural rhythm, but she won’t sleep, she literally fights it and no matter what starts the day at 5am. GP isn’t concerned because blood tests are normal.
She is supposed to go to bed at 8pm in school times and 8.30pm in holidays. She falls asleep in class at school because she refuses to sleep but nothing I try makes her do anything but fight sleep. GP won’t consider a referral to a sleep consultant unless she’s being violent in the daytime. I can’t afford private so I’m stuck.
I am done with being a parent. All we do now is argue. I hate being a mum. I'm about to reach burnout but no-one cares.
I know I am VUR.