Is he too young to be hyperactive?

[homemama]

I am starting to becaome concerned that my DS has some sort of hyperactivity disorder. He is 9 1/2mths and it seems to have become progressively worse over the last two.

He is a very poor sleeper and we'll often go in to him at 2.30am to find him excitedly cruising back and forth along the cot. When he sees us he starts babbling furiously and reaching up for us and it takes upwards of an hour to settle him again. (usually just for another hour or so)

When he is up, he is constantly everywhere and into everything. He has been crawling since before 6mths and he quite literally never sits. Ever! He is either zooming from one end of the house to another (we're v. open plan) or he's cruising around furniture at speed.

He plays with his toys but is very easily distracted and in the wooden box for something else.

He is also an obsessive climber. He wants to climb everything inc. the sofa, t.v and curtains. If I try to sit him on my lap, he just wants to climb up me and over my shoulder.

In all honesty, he never stops. He needs a good half hour in a very dark room before he'll even consider napping and even then only if I'm lucky.

All the HV said was that all little boys are lively but when we're with other babies his age, he is very different. He is always interested in them but very rough and boisterous (sp?)

Is the HV right? He's also going through separation anxiety and screams and cries if he can't see me or I leave the room.
Any advice would be really welcome. Thanks.

To be honest, he just sounds like an early developer to me. Everything you are describing reminds me of my dd at around one or so.
At 9.5 months you cannot expect him to have a long attention span, so rifling through his toybox at high speed should not surprise you!
It IS a pain if he doesn't sleep well, but cheer yourself up with the thought that, according to my GP, poor sleep patterns in a baby or toddler can be connected with a high IQ. They are just too interested and curious to go to sleep and stay asleep readily (according to doctor).
I don't know to what extent this is true - but anyway, I thought it might cheer you up!
Separation anxiety at this age is very normal - to be expected.
My dd was not a great sitter-on-the-lap. Nether was my friend's child. Some babies seem to be little cuddie-pies and just want to sit, and others are intrepid, restless types. I thin it is largely a personality thing.
In short, nothing you have described suggests to me that you should have serious concerns about his growing up to be an ADHD sufferer!

Homemama my ds has always been the same. His concentration span is tiny and he hs always flitted from one thing or another and runs everywhere. In fact I know if he sits on my knee he must be poorly! I used to worry as he was completely different to other children but now at 18 months everyone just finds him very entertaining!

homemama same here too...ds was hyper from early age, sitting up at 4mths crawling at 5mths and walking by 8.5mths. He is now 22mths and is calming down a lot. Although even when sitting still he is usually twitching in one way or another. He is also a climber so I just taught him to climb safely as it was less stress than trying to stop him. I think the night waking maybe a noise is disturbing him or he is used to you going in, what does he do if you dont go in? Personally if he is not crying or wet etc then I would leave him to cruise as he will soon get bored. Will also say its only from 18mths my son has slepth through and was trying to drop his nap despite only sleeping from 8pm to 5.30 am. This week I have been forcing him to have a nap in the day and his mood has been soo much better and he is sleeping of a night 8.30 till 7am. Do you have blackout curtains in your sons room?

Thanks for the replies. It's hard when you never see other babies act like yours. Maybe I'm just exhausted. It just seems that when we have meet ups, nobody else's baby is trying to climb up curtains or bookcases. They all seem happy to sit and pat each other whilst playing whereas my DS would rather pull their hair or clothes 'cave-man' style.

Thanks Nemo, yes we do have blackout curtains. Before them he never napped in the day.
If we leave him he cries his heart out and I'm not up to CC.
Good to know that other have had similar experiences and come out the other end

homemama my ds loves to try and 'wrestle' other kids no matter what size as poor mummytosteven's little boy found out. Also if he sees anyone on the floor he thinks it means they are to be climbed on, jumped on or generally wrestled....not much good at nearly 6mths pg..lol

Homemama - He sounds just like mine! I too felt that I wasn't up to cc but we reached point where DS was screaming even when we were trying to cuddle him. He was squirming away, flailing arms etc and seemed to have no sleep in him. I knew that he hadn't napped at all and must be exhausted so went out and borrowed Dr. Christopher Green's book 'Toddler Taming'. Previously I'd only read extracts about cc but when I read the book and realised that he's not some cruel b. who'll leave a distressed infant I felt stronger and knew that I would be helping DS. That was a few months ago now and after just two nights (about 45 mins each) he's able to go into cot awake and get himself off to sleep until 7ish in morn. When cc is set in context and you realise you can cuddle etc in between you see it isn't the demon it seems.

How much do you bet me that I've tempted fate and he'll be up all night?!

Fab Dr.CG qoute said that toddlers have as much going on as an international airport, it just has NO control tower! Toddlers ARE impetuous and unable to look at consequences cos frontal lobes of brain aren't properly developed yet.

Soz for long post!

Sounds similar to a friend's dd.

However, your ds may well be sleep deprived. I know you don't feel up to cc, but perhaps need to discuss other sleep techniques (there are plenty of books on the topics in various libraries). My friend's ds was always worse (more active) when she did not sleep through the night.

Good luck.

Any E621 in his diet?

I don't think he's having any additives. He has a half and half mixture of organic food in jars and chicken or fish homecooked with a variety of organic veg. He also has very watered down baby juice and the odd rice cake.
He does seem worse after bread or weetabix but not sure if gluten can make them high. Can it?

Thanks for the sleep advice. I know that CC would probably distress me much more than him!

Yes to Gluten making high - but check the bread has no additives.

Does anyone know then, is he too young to have the GF breakfast cereals from the supermarket?
I'm hoping a few days without weetabix will stop him getting so cross because he can't climb up the fridge!

Can you cut out the baby juice too - sugars may not help either.

Thanks everyone

Crikey - why can't I practise what I preach - let ds have cheap ketchup on some chips at the weekend while we were out. Now have nightmare child on my hands, who throws his food and gets really upset at nothing. Tremendous.

My dd2 was like this and I have cut out thinks like sweetsthings with additives etc.
Yes she used to climb book shelves out of her cot by the time she was one ,so watch out!( I only caught her by accident )

I agree with the sleep training idea buthe may only need a short sleep (my dd2 does-10 h a night) make sure that it is quiet and dark for sleep.

BTW I couldn't even drink coke when I was pregnant as she went hyper and didn't sleep.