ADHD and Sleep![]() |
Sleep deprivation meant Kieran would be either very grumpy and difficult throwing spectacular temper tantrums if the slightest thing didn’t suit or he would be completely hyperactive and out of control.
ProblemThe problem started when Kieran began waking up and crying. We didn’t feel able to leave him to get on with it so we would go into him. From here it progressed to him wanting to play for long periods during the night and no matter what we did he seemed totally unable to relax and fall back to sleep.Sleep deprivation meant Kieran would be either very grumpy and difficult throwing spectacular temper tantrums if the slightest thing didn’t suit or he would be completely hyperactive and out of control – hardly surprising as he had only had around 7 – 8 hours sleep! I was also really tired I found this behaviour very challenging, exhausting and difficult to deal with.
I saw my health visitor about it and she suggested we tried the controlled crying technique, but it was never totally successful. By the time Kieran was 3 the sleep situation was getting worse and his nursery had told me his development was not “age appropriate”. I found Millpond Children’s Sleep. The SolutionWe started a sleep programme with Millpond sleep clinic and Kieran responded immediately to it. The plan was to use a late sleep phase programme. We were to establish a relaxing bedtime routine with very clear boundaries. The “new rules” were explained to Kieran and he was rewarded if he went to sleep nicely at bedtime and back to sleep nicely in the night. Part of the programme also involved gradually lowering his Melatonin dosage in order to eventually wean him off. Over the next couple of weeks he responded well. By the end of the third week he was completely off the Melatonin and sleeping soundly through the night.Seven weeks on, I am delighted to say that all is still going well and he is sleeping right through the night. Nursery reports that Kieran is a different child. He is now calm and sits and listens and concentrates, his behaviour is so much better and they are very pleased at how well he is doing. When I look back at the situation now I think it’s really scary how he was prescribed a cocktail of drugs, which he didn’t really need at all, the only thing Kieran needed was a good 11-12 hours sleep every night!
“My maternal instinct was right; lack of sleep was causing a lot of Kieran’s behaviour problems and development delay. I just wish that I had gone to Millpond sooner and not waited so long until things became desperate before we got help. I would recommend Millpond to anyone and cannot praise them enough”. |