I need sleep and so does my 4 yr. old

[denhamspringsla]

I am at my wits end with my four-year old son.  It absolutely is at the point that I am considering relinquishing primary custody.  His major problem is not going to sleep at night.  He could stay up all night every night, without sleeping late the next morning.  This has become a dangerous situation.  I have moved him into my bedroom and put locks on the toy closet and exit door from the bedroom.  He has stayed up memorizing maze puzzles in a fun book (30 mazes) I recently awoke at 1:30am to find him guzzling chocolate syrup (he has learned to unlock the exit door) and with syrup all over the place.  He understands these are things that not acceptable, however, he can

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Yes, you should seek assistance. It's not clear that mental health is the immediate route to pursue, however. Before doing that, I'd rule out other more strictly medical explanations for the behavior. Start with your pediatrician, and from there you will likely investigate possible pediatric neurological and/or pediatric sleep disorder avenues. If those routes are negative, then I'd definitely go in the direction of child mental health evaluation.

[denhamspringsla]

Thank you for your input.  That is a good way to put it - turn off the brain and rest!  Yours is the first comment I have gotten in these years that it wasn't - me - doing something wrong.  The ped doctor looks at me like "what a dumb mama".  I certainly will give your comment a great deal of thought.  Thanks

[softeyez90]

Dear I need sleep,
I do know what you are going through and there is medicine out there for your son. My daughter is now 7 and have been having problems since she was 2. She wouldn't go to bed until 3 in the morning then get an hours sleep and be ready to go again, at the age of 6. I walked into a doctors office and told them that they needed to help her or help me cope with her. I was a full time mom and working fulltime and still dont know how I got through a week of work with only 5 hours of sleep. The doctors perscribed her with clonidine it is a sleep medicine for children who can not turn off there brains and relax. I really hope this gets to you and you look into it. She has now been on it for almost a year and I thank the doctors all the time. She gets it an hour before bed, a bath 10 minutes after the meds, because sometimes it works really fast within 15 minutes and if she isnt comfortable before she falls asleep she is really moody and always crying, until she passes out. I love it because she gets a good nights sleep, with no nightmares and not restless at all. Please look into it, I would recommend it hun.
Good Luck