Melatonin? Any other answers?

[MooMummyMoo]

I have put off posting this but am now getting close to desperate so am posting in the hope that someone may have some advice.

My DD has severe/profound learning difficulties and global developmental delay. She has never been a good sleeper but from age one would maybe sleep through 20-30% of the time, waking 1-3 times on the other nights. She would have occasional bursts of poorer sleeping which would last maybe a week or two. So that's the background.

We are currently in a 'poorer sleeping' period but this one is particularly bad and has gone on for 2 months or so now. Currently she is getting out of bed 20plus times a night, starting from around 8-10pm.

We always follow the same routine at bedtime, and when she wakes at night we do the usual - no eye contact, limited touch, no talking, just put her back to bed and shut the door. We also always get her up at the same time come what may.

We are persevering but making no head way at the moment and I have to admit I am close to the end of my tether.

I have read on here about melatonin and wondered if a 'slow release' version would help? Though I am not that comfortable with it as a solution, I am getting so desperate now it keeps coming back in my mind. Can it be a temporary thing to 'reset' them? Do people ever really come of it once started or would she be reliant? Does anyone have any advice? Or other ideas about where we are going wrong?

Hi moomummymoo hugs , my daughter has 4 Mgs of melatonin a night , it doesn't always work she missed school today as she had been up since 2 am but it helps ,

Thanks Autumnsmum. I posted a response to you yesterday but it's not here so not sure what I did! I blame tiredness... Another 20+ night last night. Feeling quite desperate

There is slow release melatonin , it's a tablet , my daughter has the tablets but we have to crush them

There is a slow release version of melotonin that my dd who is 8 had in tablet form and it really helped her so much so that a year later we are no longer taking it. I too had to crush them and mix into a yoghurt although towards the end of her time on them she would have them whole as long as in a yoghurt.

Talk to your paed as that is who prescribed my dd hers.

Thanks Foxy. We don't have an appointment scheduled with paed until November but I think I might try to call her as I am not sure I can last out until then. It's wearing us down.

I have had to phone my daughters in between and they have always been very helpful.Will definitely be worth a try.I know exactly what u mean about it being wearing.x

My DS has 4mg of slow release melatonin a night. It has really helped us, unless he is very wound up he will sleep now. He still wakes once in the night but it's much easier.

It's in tablet form, brand name Circadin (we are in the UK) and the paed told us we could crush them but it would mean they weren't slow release if we did.

DS is quite good at swallowing them whole in a spoonful of yoghurt now though.

Hi that is the one we used too Sahkoora. I crushed it for a while but were never told that. However it did seem to do the job as now a year later she is no longer taking it.

Hope you get some help MooMummyMoo. Keep us posted on what happens.x

By the end dd was also taking it whole with a yoghurt.x

Thanks everyone. Will call the peas hopefully later today and see what she says... Fingers crossed

Good luck.x