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Original poster

Overtiredness in 5.5 yr old - could Phenergen help ?

64 replies

Norah · 19/05/2006 17:36

My dd seems to be extremely overtired at the moment - but nothing I do seems to make her sleep any longer ! Lie-ins are unheard of in our house !

She is 5.5 - and goes to bed at 7pm each night - she wakes at 5.30 every day and will not go back to sleep ! I have tried keeping her up later - but she becomes very stroppy - just too tired !

We have blackout blinds etc - and the house is very quiet - nothing apart from her own body clock is waking her up from what I can tell !

She no longer falls asleep in the car - so we can't even resort to driving her around !

So - I don't know what to do !

I know she needs to have a really good long sleep - but how can I get her to have one ?

A neighbour has suggested giving her Phenergan to "break the cycle" - has anyone tried this ?

OP posts:
spacecadet · 19/05/2006 18:10

i wouldnt recommend giving her anything, have you tried moving her bedtime back a little to say 7.30-8.00pm?

Original poster
Norah · 19/05/2006 18:18

Yes - but she is so overtired it just ends in tantrums and strops !

Have tried pretty nuch everything apart from drugging her !

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Original poster
Norah · 19/05/2006 18:52

Anyone ??

She just needs to have a big sleep - how can I get her to have one ?

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KTeePee · 19/05/2006 19:16

I know you say you have a blackout blind but is the room really dark in the morning? My blinds don't fit snugly up to the sides of the windows so light still gets through. I got some blackout material this week and pinned it to the window frame of ds's bedroom. The room is now pitch black even during the day and he sleeps for an extra hour or so in the morning.

Original poster
Norah · 19/05/2006 19:22

Thanks for answering !! Was feeling a bit ignored !!

It is pretty dark - we also have blackout curtains over the blind to cover the gaps. But maybe I could do something - I have a big piece of blackout material somewhere !

Do you think it is just the light mornings waking her then ?

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SaintGeorge · 19/05/2006 19:26

Push back her bedtime, but only in 5-10 minute steps.

My DS2 (nearly 5) now has an 8pm bedtime. Strangely enough he often now chooses to go earlier, but manages to sleep through to 7ish regardless.

Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 19:27

I think Phenergan administered at bed time would have worn off by that time in the morning.

Spagblog · 19/05/2006 19:29

Phenergan on my overtired DD resulted in a bit of a disaster!
She became "wired" and manic and a little bit distraught. It can sometimes have the opposite effect according to the leaflet enclosed

Original poster
Norah · 19/05/2006 19:30

I'd never heard of it before my neighbour suggested it ? What is Phenergan anyway? I assumed it must be some sort of sedative ?

I gave her Medised once when she was a baby and she slept for 12 hrs solid - I was petrified !

Moving her bedtime back sounds like a good idea - hadn't thought of doing it gradually - so thanks for that.

Will also look for that blackout material and see if I can do something with it.

Thanks everyone !

OP posts:
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 19:33

Phenergan is an antihistamine. Usually causes drowsiness.

jangly · 19/05/2006 19:36

Could she listen quietly to some story tapes when she wakes early? Might sooth her off to sleep again.

Original poster
Norah · 19/05/2006 20:06

Oh an antihistamine - not sure what neighbour was on about then !

Story tapes are a good idea - but would have to buy her something to play them on, and the tapes themselves though -and have no money at the moment !

Hmmm - doesn't really sound like Phenergan is any sort of solution then !

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Hoopoe · 20/05/2006 22:38

You could try going in at 4:30 / 5 to wake her up. She will probably go straight back to sleep, and it'll have broken the cycle. I'd try that before using drugs.

gothicmama · 20/05/2006 22:47

try gentle exercise before tea then put bed time back a bit look at your bedtime routine, or have her in bed with you for a few hours when she wakes - what does she do when she wakes does she bneed the loo etc.

Original poster
Norah · 22/05/2006 13:05

Ah the saga goes on !!

Have put her bedtime back a bit - which has meant hysterical tantrums as bedtime two night running as she is overtired.

Have also pinned extra blackout lining on the back of her curtains so we now have three layers of blackouts ! This again has caused tantrums as she doesn't want her curtains shut in the first place and secondly she doesn't want it to be dark ! She has got a little nightlight - so it isn't completely dark anyway !

Last night she was absolutely shattered - loads of exercise etc and really really tired. Had a tantrum about curtians - but was alseep by 8pm.

11pm she wakes up and is crying ! We went in to her - she says there is nothing wrong but she wants a cuddle. Cuddle admiistered we go to bed ourselves ! Two and a half hours later she is still mid screaming/crying fit - we have shut both her door and ours and have told her to go to sleep a hundred times - but No - she is still screaming !

Eventually she falls asleep mid-cry at about 1.45am - gets up at 6.30am and is in foul mood !

Dh and I are both at work and dead on our feet !

Medised looking a distinct possibility now !

Anyone got any ideas what is going on here ?? She is not unwell that we can tell or that she can say - it seems like a control thing with her ! ie. she doesn't want curtains shut so will scream and scream until getting own way ! Except she doesn't get her own way - so it is a protracted and miserable process !!

I could cry ! Someone clever tell me what to do !

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JackieNo · 22/05/2006 13:10

At 5.5 might she be old enough to try a clock on - there's the bunny clock and another one that Cod knows about. You could explain when 'getting up time' is supposed to be, and maybe try a star chart if she stays in bed till that time? I'll try to find links for the clocks.

JackieNo · 22/05/2006 13:11

\link{http://www.gltc.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&productID=G4001&CatID=Product&esource=GGG01\This is the bunny one}

Original poster
Norah · 22/05/2006 13:14

Oh Thanks Jackie - but we have one - had it since she was 2.5 - also have a lamp outside her room on a timer to come on at 7am - and she KNOWS she is not supposed to come in our room until lamp is on (unless ill obv) - but she just chooses to ignore them both !

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Judd · 22/05/2006 13:14

DD is 4.5years and she has her bedside light on a timer. It comes on at 7.30am and she knows that that is getting up time. If she appears before the light is on, then she is taken straight back to bed because it is still night time.

BeetrootOldDeer · 22/05/2006 13:16

I would put her to bed at 6pm and at least she will get longer sleep. She will start waking later as she gets older and demands a later bedtime

JackieNo · 22/05/2006 13:16

Oh dear - what a shame! Might a reward for not waking you (like a star chart with a present at the end of the week) encourage her? Sorry, no other suggestions, but you have my sympathies - it's horrible trying to function on too little sleep.

BeetrootOldDeer · 22/05/2006 13:17

and if the 530 bit is doing you in then I woudl try rewards. could she just get up na d switch tv on???

Original poster
Norah · 22/05/2006 13:41

More good ideas - thanks !

Think I will try the star-chart or pasta pot idea - has worked with her in the past I must say !

However - am going to pick up some Medised on way home - feel tireder now that when she was newborn !

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MeAndMyBoy · 22/05/2006 13:49

Hi Not read the thread so sorry if i'm repeating what's been said already.

My DS did this and in the end I just get fed up and told him no more early mornings I was fed up of hearing the dawn chorus. Just put him back to bed until his rabbit alarm woke up. Took a few days for him to get the message that he wasn't allowed out of bed until it was time to wake up but we got there in the end.

Medised is fab stuff - always knocks DS out although now I only give him it very rarely but did use it when we went long haul.

Maybe combine the 2 give her some medised and tell she has to stay in bed until it's time to get up put her back to bed so that she gets used to going back to sleep until time to get up?
Good luck H x

ps sorry if this sounds a bit direct I'm being cheeky posting when I shouldn't and couldn't leave this without sympatising cause I've been there :)

Original poster
Norah · 22/05/2006 13:51

No not cheeky at all - thanks for answering !!

I think we are all at the stage now where Medised is the only answer - I cannot do this every night anymore ! I am certain she is just overtirted and just needs to catch up - BUT - she won't let hereself iykwim !

Thanks again,xx

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