[blparent] Sleepless Nights

Wed Nov 14 00:07:34 UTC 2012

Hi Melissa. After reading what everyone has had to say about Melatonin, I
may have to give it a try. I don't like to take any kind of sleep medication
as it makes me feel, well, hung over and like crap the next day. While it
may help me sleep, it also keeps me very groggy the following day. Does
Melatonin make you feel like you took something or does it feel like a
natural sleep? Does this make sense? My husband takes Ambien, and I've been
tempted to do so, but I've seen how it zaps him and rather quickly. He's
totally sighted, but he works a lot of night shifts, and then switches back
to day shifts and that can really play on a persons sleeping habbits. I'm a
real chicken when it comes to medications. Thanks for the info. 

Jeri

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa Ann
Riccobono
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 8:40 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

I don't know how this works for adults, but melatonin has made a huge
difference in my son's sleep, which has made a huge difference in night
times in our house in general. Austin is almost six, and since he was
probably about 2, he has had a very hard time sleeping at night. He has a
very short window of time between the time he is quietly tired and the time
he becomes over tired and just cannot settle down. (By the way, Austin is
fully sighted.) It was strange too because it seemed to go in cycles for
him. For a couple of months he'd go to sleep fine--then he would having tons
of trouble out of the blue. It didn't seem to matter what we did... No TV
before bed--TV before bed to givehim some down time. Going to bed at the
same time every night... (Very hard to do in my opinion, especially when my
husband is traveling a lot for work, but that's another story. We certainly
gave it our best try.) Music at night--no music at night... You get the
picture. I actually felt really bad for him because, most of the time, he
was really trying to go to sleep. He would just lay there in his bed, and
get up every half hour or so to complain that he wasn't sleeping. It just
seemed as if his mind couldn't shut off, and his body was so keyed up that
he just couldn't relax and settle down to sleep. A couple of my sister's
kids have the same problem, and she told me about melatonin and what a
difference it has made for them... So I asked Austin's doctor and she said
it would be fine to give it a try. And, wow, it really works! They do
recommend taking it at the same time every night. We are usually good about
this during the week, but on the weekends bedtime is a little more relaxed
around here. It doesn't seem to matter though. We give him the melatonin
when he's getting ready for bed, and he is asleep very soon after hitting
the pillow. It is so much more calm in our house at night now, and Austin
knows the melatonin really helps him, so he actually asks us for it. He
takes a very small dose. It's just enough to send his body the message that
it is all right to settle down and go to sleep... And his body listens.
Again, I don't know if this would work for you--I've never tried it myself.
But, I know it has worked wonders with Austin, and my nephews, so I think it
definitely would be worth a try.
Melissa
-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Pickrell,
Rebecca M (TASC)
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 7:56 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

Yes to sleep and melatonin.
You can get it anywhere. Pop a capsule and you'll be fine.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jeri Milton
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 4:47 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

Hi out there to everyone. It's the middle of the night, or wee hours of the
morning depending on whatever way you look at it. These last couple of weeks
I've been having a heck of a time sleeping. I read somewhere a long time ago
that people who are blind tend to have a harder time sleeping than those who
are sighted. It has to do with Melatonin. Does anyone know about this study?

Anyway, when I have these dreaded sleepless nights I tend to lie there and
think or worry about everything and it really drives me crazy. So tonight I
was thinking so much about my children. Instead of tossing and turning,
sleep for half an hour then waking up to twiddle my thumbs and think some
more, I thought I would post my thoughts on here sense it is about being a
parent.

I was thinking about how fast the time really does go by. It seems like just
yesterday I was pregnant with Dylan and enjoying every single bite of my
huge Breakfast Jack sandwich from Jack in the Box. *smile*. Then, boom he
was born and I was having sleepless nights with a new born baby that I had
no clue what to do with. Funny how we're so scared at first and then the
baby just becomes part of us, like he's always been there all of your life.
Next thing I knew I was planning his first birthday party. I remember that I
hand made them with pieces of construction paper folded in half to make a
card. I used every primary color in the crayon box for each letter of the
words. I wrote it as if he was writing it. It was very cute, I have to
admit! Now, well tomorrow, because he is turning seven and is old enough to
help fill out his invites, we're going to grandma's house to fill them out
for his pizza party at the end of the month. So, just yesterday I was losing
sleep and crying because I didn't know what to do with this new born, and
now seven years later, I'm crying because he's growing up too dang fast!
Also, I'm still trying to lose all the calories from that first dang
Breakfast Jack! Not to mention the weight gain when I was pregnant with
Kate. I know he hasn't been a baby for a while, but seven just sounds so,
well, not babyish. He'll always be my baby though. I tell him even when he's
forty he'll still be my baby. Then, somebody asked me the other day about
Katlyn starting preschool and I almost immediately burst into tears over the
thought of it. My gosh what am I going to do when they're both in school?
Gone all day to the hands of other people. When Dylan started preschool I
balled like a baby, and he was only going two days a week. Then, when kinder
garden came I cried all week. I felt that I was sending him into the wolf
pack. I worry about Kate because she does have eye problems and one of her
eye's wonders pretty severely. I hope she doesn't get teased. I wish I could
be with them every second of every day forever to keep them safe. While it's
fun to watch them grow, there's a part of me that feels sad. Is this normal?
I'll probably sing happy birthday to him and cry at the same time!

Jeri

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