Just Won’t Sleep

[daycare]

I have a child who just turned 4. I have had her since she was 16 months old and sleep has always been an issue.

I also have her little sister too.

DCG 4 can be strong willed at times, here she is mostly behaved, but at home or with parents it's like a 3-ring circus.

The issue, the parents CAN NOT get DCG4 to go to bed at night. She will lay down at 8-9 pm and not fall asleep until 11 or after and then wake at 530am or 6am. She also wakes up 3-4 times a night and will cry until someone comes to soothe her. She is a thumb ****er, leg presser and rubs her shirt when she needs to fall asleep..This has gone on forever at their home. But only with the 4 yr old.

The issue is that DCG comes here and then her behavior is horrible. I give 2 chances and then she has to lay down. Most of the time she will fall asleep for 3-6 hours. Lately, she is not sleeping here at ALL and is only getting about 6 hours of sleep each night at home.

I teach a pre-kinder program and she is one of the smartest kids I have here, but her lack of sleep is causing MAJOR issues.

I have asked the parents to talk to their DOC about it and I was told that the doctor was not concerned as no one can make anyone sleep. REALLY, so a child this age can suffice off of 5-7 hours of sleep for a 24hr period?? Yeah I think not, I know most adults can't even do that.

I have no clue what to do. What do you think could be the girls issue? Anxiety? I JUST DON'T know what to do anymore and I am afraid that I will not be able to prep her for kinder if they can't get the sleep issue under control.

any tips or advice, thoughts??

thanks so much

[Cradle2crayons]

I have a child who just turned 4. I have had her since she was 16 months old and sleep has always been an issue.

I also have her little sister too.

DCG 4 can be strong willed at times, here she is mostly behaved, but at home or with parents it's like a 3-ring circus.

The issue, the parents CAN NOT get DCG4 to go to bed at night. She will lay down at 8-9 pm and not fall asleep until 11 or after and then wake at 530am or 6am. She also wakes up 3-4 times a night and will cry until someone comes to soothe her. She is a thumb ****er, leg presser and rubs her shirt when she needs to fall asleep..This has gone on forever at their home. But only with the 4 yr old.

The issue is that DCG comes here and then her behavior is horrible. I give 2 chances and then she has to lay down. Most of the time she will fall asleep for 3-6 hours. Lately, she is not sleeping here at ALL and is only getting about 6 hours of sleep each night at home.

I teach a pre-kinder program and she is one of the smartest kids I have here, but her lack of sleep is causing MAJOR issues.

I have asked the parents to talk to their DOC about it and I was told that the doctor was not concerned as no one can make anyone sleep. REALLY, so a child this age can suffice off of 5-7 hours of sleep for a 24hr period?? Yeah I think not, I know most adults can't even do that.

I have no clue what to do. What do you think could be the girls issue? Anxiety? I JUST DON'T know what to do anymore and I am afraid that I will not be able to prep her for kinder if they can't get the sleep issue under control.

any tips or advice, thoughts??

thanks so much

Melatonin to reset her sleep/wake cycle??

[daycare]

sorry, I did forget to mention that I did suggest this to the parents, but they refuse to give it to her. They said they asked their doc and the doc said it was not necessary, let her sleep on her own. I wonder if the parents are down playing how horrible the sleep issue really is. I picture this girl sleeping through kinder............

[Cradle2crayons]

sorry, I did forget to mention that I did suggest this to the parents, but they refuse to give it to her. They said they asked their doc and the doc said it was not necessary, let her sleep on her own. I wonder if the parents are down playing how horrible the sleep issue really is. I picture this girl sleeping through kinder............

I've never heard of a pediatrician knocking down melatonin... And yes it does sound like mom and dad just don't care. Why would they... YOU are the one having to deal with her most of the day!!

Until the parents have a reason to care they likely won't.

[daycare]

I've never heard of a pediatrician knocking down melatonin... And yes it does sound like mom and dad just don't care. Why would they... YOU are the one having to deal with her most of the day!!

Until the parents have a reason to care they likely won't.

we have resorted to having her picked up when she is too tired to participate, but it has not changed anything. Last week we sent her home 3 times. All of them were in the morning too.

I can term if parents don't get on board, it will **** that I will be out her and her sis, but I can't continue to deal with this.

[Kabob]

Melatonin to reset her sleep/wake cycle??

Yep my son had this exact issue and the only thing that worked was melatonin. His dr gave us a dosage and within the week he was on a normal schedule again.

Maybe get a dr note? Maybe send them to the dr with a note stating your concerns and have him sign off on it? Maybe tell them they need a second opinion? I had to get a different dr for my ds before I got any answers....his previous dr just said it was normal but it was terrible and it led to night terrors and poor behavior.

If they aren't on board then I don't know what else to suggest other than send her home every time she is unable to participate due to lack of sleep...

Fortunately it was my own son with this issue in daycare so it was an easy fix since I was the one witnessing the results of his lack of sleep...

[daycare]

Yep my son had this exact issue and the only thing that worked was melatonin. His dr gave us a dosage and within the week he was on a normal schedule again.

Maybe get a dr note? Maybe send them to the dr with a note stating your concerns and have him sign off on it? Maybe tell them they need a second opinion? I had to get a different dr for my ds before I got any answers....his previous dr just said it was normal but it was terrible and it led to night terrors and poor behavior.

If they aren't on board then I don't know what else to suggest other than send her home every time she is unable to participate due to lack of sleep...

Fortunately it was my own son with this issue in daycare so it was an easy fix since I was the one witnessing the results of his lack of sleep...

I think that is a great idea asking them to see the doc again. She does go for her 4 year check up next week. I have never done that before, do I just fill something out addressing my concerns?

[Kabob]

I think that is a great idea asking them to see the doc again. She does go for her 4 year check up next week. I have never done that before, do I just fill something out addressing my concerns?

Actually, Cradle2crayons gave me a great form for this. It basically has a part for you to fill out your concerns, behavior observed at daycare, and any special requests the parents have then the dr fills out a part stating his/her recommendations for meds, diet, etc and signs off on it. It helps prevent parents from claiming the dr said one thing when really they didn't even address the issue....and often the dr will just put down whatever the parents want so they can send them back to daycare anyway.

Maybe a probationary period if all else fails? They obviously aren't concerned since they don't have to see the behavior...

[daycare]

Actually, Cradle2crayons gave me a great form for this. It basically has a part for you to fill out your concerns, behavior observed at daycare, and any special requests the parents have then the dr fills out a part stating his/her recommendations for meds, diet, etc and signs off on it. It helps prevent parents from claiming the dr said one thing when really they didn't even address the issue....and often the dr will just put down whatever the parents want so they can send them back to daycare anyway.

Maybe a probationary period if all else fails? They obviously aren't concerned since they don't have to see the behavior...

C2C would you mind sharing this form with me? thanks

Yeah every monday when the kids come back the DCD always says, I don't know how you do it 5 days all day with them, they are very naughty every weekend. the kicker, DCM does not work at all.........

[Cradle2crayons]

C2C would you mind sharing this form with me? thanks

Yeah every monday when the kids come back the DCD always says, I don't know how you do it 5 days all day with them, they are very naughty every weekend. the kicker, DCM does not work at all.........

No problem can you pm me your email and I'll shoot it right over

[debbiedoeszip]

She sleeps up to 6 hours at daycare? No wonder she doesn't sleep at night. I'd only let her sleep a couple of hours while at daycare, and only after she cannot stay awake. She needs to reset her sleep schedule so that most of her sleeping is done at night.

I have the same issue with my teenaged DS. On weekends, he gets into the habit of staying awake all night and then sleeping all day. I have to force him to stay awake all day on Sundays (and yes, he can be a miserable so-and-so) so that he can break the cycle before Monday morning.

[daycare]

she used to sleep at daycare for 6 hours in the past, lately she wont sleep AT ALL...so for the last several weeks she is only sleeping 6 hours at night at home. She is not napping here at all anymore

[debbiedoeszip]

she used to sleep at daycare for 6 hours in the past, lately she wont sleep AT ALL...so for the last several weeks she is only sleeping 6 hours at night at home. She is not napping here at all anymore

Oh, I see.

[daycare]

Oh, I see.

trust me I thought the same exact thing as you. I thought that she was not sleeping at night because of sleeping here, but there would be days she did not sleep here and then the cycle would just continue of her not sleeping resulting in a child that is almost next to impossible to control...

[debbiedoeszip]

It sounds like a nightmare.