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

[pablopatito]

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?

Very interesting to read this topic - very close to my heart and sanity . I haven't posted here before so forgive any faux pas. Have 6 yr old son who was bad sleeper and suffered night terrors until he was 3 yrs old, which was when I had son number two. I thought lightening can't strike twice and the baby would be a good sleeper. How wrong was I? Day one of his precious life, I looked at the midwife and said that my son hadn't slept. She patronised me, took him away so I could rest but returned 2 hours later and said 'you're right, he doesn't sleep does he?' Ever since then, my son has woken every 2 hours at night (he'll be 4 in September). We have a stict but calm night time routine. We avoid medised and anything with pseudoephadrine (like sudafed, cold remedies) as it sends him hyper. He's a dreadful headbanger at night and I've found him on the floor banging his head at times. We've been seeing a paeditrician for several years who has prescribed sedatives (which didn't work and sent him hyper again) and then worked out that my little boy doesn't produce enough melatonin (the hormone that makes you realise that it's time to go to sleep and stay asleep till morning), he has been prescribed a synthetic form of melatonin which is sort of good but I'm now of the opinion that when he's old enough he can entertain himself in his room with books etc and let me sleep but until then its up to me to comfort him and go without sleep. Did you know: sleep problems are more common in boys and there's a heriditary factor too! Also my son has turned out to be quite bright (beginning to read at 3, can do sums etc) which is also thought to interupt sleep patterns. He suffers no side effects from lack of sleep, but I do, particularly as I'm on my own with the children all week . Sleep deprivation is just awful - no wonder they use it as a form of torture - and can cause depression and is a great strain on relationships and marriages. You're not alone! I want to set up a support group for parents of poor sleepers - please let me know if you would like to join? Sorry this is so long - could go on for ever about this subject (yawn). Anyway that's it for now. p.s. haven't got the hang of the abbreviations you all use like DS etc??

Have used medised very occassionally which i think is fine.
but I will not give my DS Nurofen/Ibupforin for children as it gave me a severe gastric ulcer when I took it for wisdom tooth ache.
apparently you must be careful not to take it on an empty stomach and as my DS never eats when poorly, I don't think it's worth the risk.

Am constantly amazed how many people give their children Nurofen.
Think Calpol is safer.

Hi,

Am new here and a bit of lurker :) I couldn't help but respond to this thread as I think that Medised is wonderful.

I have 2 darling children and my youngest is generally a naff sleeper...but when he has a cough or runny nose he's ten times worse and will not settle, getting more upset and grouchy (SP?) as each hour passes. Medised is fab as it settles him and I think relaxes him too, I only give him one dose a day and that seems to be enough.

I recently asked my GP what he thought of Medised and he said it was great and that he had given it to his son the previous night as he had a cough and cold he did say though as long as its not misused. I haven't ever used it just to get DS to sleep but if he was very tired and had been awake for hours and hours I would consider it. Why make your child suffer if there is a way of making them happy which he is when he's had a good nights sleep?

HI, I'm new too, and had never heard of Medised, it sounds great as I would love something to knock my DS out when he's full of cold... however according to the netdoctor site it shouldn't be used under 2 yrs old without your GPs approval... www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001597.html