Insomnia

[LLT]

My 22-month old on a good night only sleeps 3-4 hrs at a time.  He has always done this.  We started out and are still on the same routine.  We then moved on to giving benedryl.  Then to Adarax given by his dr.  And now he is on 15 mg of Elavil.  Still no success.  He doesn't seem to have any other problems; i.e. stopped up nose, headaches, etc.  Some of the time when he wakes up he will come to my bed and go back to sleep.  But most of the time, he comes to my bed and wants me to get up.  I have gone from one extreme to the next with him.  From being stearn (so stearn it has made us both sick) to giving in.  Even giving in upsets him.  I have also tried different things with his bed such as different blankets, sheets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc.  We really don't know what to do next. I hate drugging him.  He is so young to start something like that.  Our doctor has suggested maybe a sleep clinic.  Do you have any other suggestions?

LLT

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Unless there is some rather unusual neurological explanation for your son's sleep pattern, I would shy away from medication for such a young child. A sleep study might make sense, though he is quite young comapred with the ususal candidates for such studies. A consult with such a clinic would certainly be in order, to help determine the sensible direction. The vast majority of sleep problems in young children are brought on by behavioral/routine variables. But it does make sense to rule out any medically-based condition, because your son may be one of the few who do pose such problems. In the meantime, don't vary your response. Stick with a plan. Preferably, if he comes to you during the night, return him to his bed where he should remain alone after you settle him in.