We changed Lauren medication in June. She went from 25 mg to 40 mg of Straterra. We also increased her afternoon dose of Ritalin from 5 mg to 10 mg. Her neurologist warned that the increase of Ritalin may cause sleep problems.
Wow, he wasn't kidding! First, Lauren already has sleep problems which is one of the reasons she's on Clonedine at night. It is actually a high blood pressure medication but helps some kids with impulse control and makes you tired. I've never decided if it does help Lauren with impuse control but it does help her sleep and that's reason enough for me to continue to give it to her.
The last two weeks, she's been sleeping about 3 hours a night. 3 hours of very irregular, interrupted sleep. She been going to bed at around 9:30. hey, it's the summer we live it up here. She then wakes up around 12:00 or even 11:00 if it is an especially bad night. She up for the day, she restless, her entire body twitches and she thrashes around. The worst part: she's not happy about it and desperately wants to sleep. Until now, Lauren's sleep problems have primary effected everyone else. She's been blissfully unaware of the problems. That is no longer true. She's been crying for a few hours a night about how tired she is and how she just can't sleep. She may be only 6 but she knows her body. I believe her. It is not a trick or a ploy. She just can't sleep.
Hopefully her neurologist will have some ideas of how to help.
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This is the definition of abject misery for all in the family. I'll be praying that you find something that helps SOON. Is it possible to go back to what you were doing before the med change?
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