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Original poster

Do you drug your babies so you can get a good night's sleep?

154 replies

pablopatito · 09/03/2006 08:51

DP and I are not ones for drugs, both being brought up my mothers from the "plenty of water and lots of fresh air" school of medical care. But DS (11 months old) has been teething and has a cold and he's been having even more broken sleep than normal and he's never been a brilliant sleeper. So the last couple of nights we've given him a dose of medised and omg, he's slept like a log! We haven't had a peep out of him for 12 solid hours. Its bliss! I've had the best nights sleep I've had in over a year.

Suddenly, the tempation to drug him at the merest whiff of a sniff has become overwhelming.

So the decision to drug? How can I be sure I only drug him because its right for him, and not be influenced by my selfish desire to get a good night's sleep?

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nulnulcat · 09/03/2006 15:45

dd was a really crap sleeper and hadnt slept through the night by 18 months old i was knackered so bought a bottle of phenergan over the counter dosed her up for 5 nights in a row got loads of sleep and since then she has slept through the nights most nights.i give her medised if she is snotty or if asthma bad and cough will keep her awake

beetroot · 09/03/2006 16:31

sophie I had 4 children in 5 years and never 'drugged' them to sleep. fgs, if you can't cope stop at 2!

desperateSCOUSEwife · 09/03/2006 16:36

no, but ds2 is on melatonin to regulate his sleep as he has sn

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madmarchhare · 09/03/2006 16:38

Not unless ill, but always go to bed safe in the knowledge that 12 hours solid is 100% guaranteed.

WestCountryLass · 09/03/2006 21:12

If my kids have a cold then I would offer them Calpol, if they were particulalry snotty and unsettled at night then I would offer them the Medised as the antihistamine in it dried up the boogers, if they were teething I would probably offer Nurofen.

Wordsmith · 09/03/2006 21:17

Didn't gripe water used to contain alcohol? I have fond memories of gripe water or something similar when I was little. I hardly touch alcohol these days, honest [hic!]

My MIL used to suggest I dip DS's dummy in brandy to calm him down, an age old remedy apparently!

Yes, shock horror, my kids have/had dummies!!! As well as Medised!!

JiminyCricket · 09/03/2006 21:19

A pharmacist I know says they are reluctant to sell medised now because lots of people misuse it for sleep.
A friend of a friend is one of those people who takes a neurofen every day just IN CASE she gets a headache, and she gives her 3yo and 6 mo calpol EVERY night before bed just in case they wake up
Me I think it must be the nice sweet taste of calpol that helps sleep because it is instant! I only use it when I think they are teething bad etc etc

WestCountryLass · 09/03/2006 22:38

Bloody hell, it can't be right to medicate them for nothing surely?

Don't people build up a tolerence to these things so after a while it would stop working wouldn't it?

Cam · 09/03/2006 22:49

I've only got one word to say to this thread: Gosh!

Actually I've never even heard of medised.

julienetmum · 09/03/2006 23:31

I have considered using medised for dd. She is an excellent sleeper but when she gets a cold it seems to affect her. The last time she came into us crying, mummy I am tired, I want to go to sleep but she was so stuffed up she couldn't.

She is prescribed piriton for hayfever in the summer and I find that it knocks her out sometimes, especially the last time I used it for chickenpox.

smoggie · 09/03/2006 23:58

Jiminycricket OMG- she gave them calpol every night in case they woke up!!! Shock. I will admit to occasionally having given ds2 (only slept though at 11 months) a dose of calpol in the final days of a cold etc., when he probably didn't really need it but I needed the sleep more. Prob happenned about four times in total. Never tried Medised with ds2 as tried it with ds1 and it sent him loopy -completely hyper. never again. Have to give ds1 piriton fairly frequently for allergic reactions but even that doesn't make him sleepy. Bugger!

Caligula · 10/03/2006 00:14

Great thread title. It's gone off on quite a tangent hasn't it. I have to say I'm quite amazed by it as well. Can't imagine giving my children medicine for any other purpose than the medical one and really can't understand anyone who would do, however tired they are. Never heard of medised.

batters · 10/03/2006 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Yafta · 10/03/2006 09:07

I asked my mum a while ago "what were those little blue tablets you gave us when we were little?" and she replied that they were phergan! And she's a doctor Shock! However her excuse was that she had 3 of under 2 (I'm a twin). We had those tablets for years. Always get a good night's sleep, me!

My kids have had medised on a number of occaisions, 95% when they are ill. I have given them half a spoon a couple of times when I am desperate though. I am aware I ca't do it regularly, and it really is when I am just about to jump out of the window with them.

kitbit · 10/03/2006 09:49

There's research that suggests that babies and small children use their REM sleep to assimilate their esperiences from the day (not just kids actually) and that introducing something to make them sleep more deeply reduces or eliminates this natural stage of sleep and can therefore slow their development. The same is also apparently true to people who use sleeping tablets long term, which is one of the reasons that docs are hesitant to prescribe for long periods of time.
I´ve also read that babies´ physical development is hampered because the growth hormone is secreted at night and if their system is "slowed down" habitually this can have a detrimental effect.

You´re going to ask me where I read all this, I can´t remember! However it´s worth checking out and doing some research to make sure it´s safe to do, isn´t it?

blondie82 · 10/03/2006 10:02

ive never even heard of medised before this. now i know what to try if dd ever has a cold or is having teething pain.
think shes teething now but doesnt seem to be in any pain so ill leave it for now! :o

Dior · 10/03/2006 10:03

Don't use Medised if your child gets even mild asthma.

Elibean · 10/03/2006 14:27

I've used Medised for really, really snotty colds that make DD choke and wake up coughing. It does dry secretions up a bit. For teething, and when she was tiny, only Calpol or baby Nurofen.

I think that sleep-deprived mental angst of 'does she really need calpol/medised/whatever or am I drugging her for my own needs' is pretty common...its hard to think clearly when you're knackered and its 4am...I know I had that battle with myself in the first year; very rarely lost it, but when I did I'd feel so guilty it wouldn't happen a second time. Far too neurotic to do much harm Wink

MrsBigD · 10/03/2006 14:44

guilty of having had a 'drugging' episode with ds Blush as he just wouldn't sleep for no apparent reason - was fed, clean, not too hot/cold, not snotty etc. ARGH

He still doesn't, but the drugs (medised, phenergan etc.) didn't do zilch anyhow so now just 'suffering' it :) Do still give calpol/calgel if we notice tooth about to push through... easily ascertained by ds's increased persistens trying to bite me Grin

harpsichordcarrier · 10/03/2006 14:48

I would be really interested to know how many people here who do give medised are very careful with their child's diet - no squash, organic etc.
I am pretty relaxed about food, particularly once a child is over two years old, but I would have to be VERY desparate indeed to drug a child to sleep.
just curious really

dinosaur · 10/03/2006 14:53

I tried Medised on DS1 a couple of times when he was younger but it definitely didn't make him sleepy, or sleep any better when he was over.

However, at the grand old age of 6 I do sometimes give it to him if he is having real trouble sleeping - I think that it is the power of suggestion - I tell him it will make him sleepy and therefore it does!

Never give it to DS2 or DS3 - I think it would be impossible to get it into DS3 anyway!

I am puzzled by how many people think that paracetamol does not make you sleepy - it certainly makes me sleepy, and I remember Mears posting on here that it is very often given to women in early stages of labour for precisely that reason.

MrsBigD · 10/03/2006 14:58

harpsicord ... with dd I don't care what she eats as long as she does Grin and with ds... try to curb trash as he's well rounded ;)

dinosaur... didn't know paracetamol makes one tired! then again I'm always tired anyways due to sleep deprivation (Hi I'm MrsBigD and it has been 4.5years since my last good nights sleep) so probably wouldn't notice the difference Grin

dinosaur · 10/03/2006 15:01

MrsBigD - I had to resort to it last night - was awake from 2.30 to 5 listening to my poor DS1 cough himself silly, nothing seemed to help. Eventually he fell asleep but I was so wide awake I could not get over. Two paracetamol later, fell asleep almost immediately.

Know what you mean about long-term sleep deprivation though. I have to go away on a horrid work weekend and the only thing keeping me going is the thought of having a nap tomorrow afternoon - such bliss in store!

MrsBigD · 10/03/2006 15:02

dinosaur... there's a plus to everything isn't there LOL

dinosaur · 10/03/2006 15:06

I hope so MrsBigD. We have to do team-building in the morning - three hours - outdoors - "mental and physical challenges (sic)".

Screw that, I've given birth three times, I don't need any more mental and physical challenges, thank you! Grin

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