United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I do not know if this is related to her surgery or not? But the last 3 nights Jocelyn has not wanted to sleep in her bed or her room unless me or my husband are there with her.

The day after she came home from her surgery with her shoulder spica cast, we moved her crib with out the front on it, to a full size bed with a rail to give her the most room possible. For 11 days and nights she slept fine in it and never had an issue. Then all of a sudden Sunday night she freaked and said she doesn't want to sleep without one of us, I laid with her till she fell asleep because I figured it was a one night thing which I am sure can and will happen. But now it's 3 nights in a row and if we try to leave the room she screams and cries and asks us to coem back.

After all she's been through I don't want more stress or for her to fall with the cast on (she tried to climb over the headboard and the rail last night) But I am afraid she will then require us to sleep with her all the time. She has never had sleep issues before this and has slept in her room by herself since she was 3 months old minus the occasional bad dream here or there. We tried night lights and stuff even though she has always slept in the dark.

Thanks for any ideas or helpful advice!

After this one surgery, Maia didn't sleep for weeks...and then poof! it just went away... I have no idea what that was about but obviously there was some discomfort - emotional - physical - or spiritual....

I ended up buying a queen size futon mattress and put it on the floor in her room and I'd lay down with her until she was asleep and then I'd leave. If she woke up, I went back and started the process again. I didn't get a lot of sleep during those weeks - it was truly hard.

I hope this balances out soon.

Here are some things you may want to try...

(1) no sugar past a certain hour in the afternoon & no extreme activity or excitedness after a certain hour
(2) a warm bath with some lavender oil in it
(3) a nice massage after the bath -- then right to bed...
(4) soft new agey music on in the room
(5) some calming aromatherapy in the room (you can google "essential oil for sleeping" - I would mix it in a spray bottle filled with water - just a few drops in a full bottle of water
(6) a drink of chamomile tea (I would mix this with some rice milk to cool it off and sweeten it)
(7) lots of loving snuggles...
(8) RESCUE REMEDY by Bach Flower
(9) Calms Forte Remedy by Hylands

Alot of kids go through this stage. I know both of mine did. Maybe it just happenes to fall after having surgery. I am sure she will out grow it and be fine but then a neighbor of mine has her child who is 11 still sleeping in bed with them. I am not so sure that one is normal.

I would just lay down with her some and try to get her back in the rountine of falling asleep on her own. Surgery is so hard on them and sometimes they just don't know how to express things so they need a little reassurance that all is going to be ok.

Best of luck.
Angie

Javier has not slept through the night since surgery. Which was in Feb 2005!!! He doesn't cry, just gets up, comes to check on us, tells us he loves us and gets in the bed with his brother. Every night, like clock work. We have tried everything. As for right after surgery, I have heard (working for a group of surgeons) that some people have nightmares after anesthesia.

Marlyn

Thank you so much for all the responses. On Monday night she told us she was afraid of the dark, so we got her a couple night lights. Last night she was talking about monsters. We told her there were no monsters in her room and when she pointed them out to me she pointed to the top of her dresser. When my husband came upstairs she pointed to her cottage playhouse next to the dresser.

Since she is in the cast until December 2nd, I can't give her baths etc, but i will try some of the other suggestions, the soothing music etc and I keep just talking to her about it and every night ask her what is bothering her and why she won't sleep in her bed.

At daycare she sleeps fine, takes 2 hour naps like normal and onyl once said something about monsters and our DCP said nope no monsters see Natalie (one of the other little girls) is sleeping just fine in here and off to sleep she went,. So strange!

I am dragging at work and am in real need of a good nights sleep one night soon!

Denise
Mom to Jocelyn~ 2 years old, LOBPI

i know i am late to respond to this, but this is the first i am reading it. my moms cure for monsters was a bottle of perfume. it was monster repllant it always worked!!!!! she did overnight work in a juvenille facility. she would go through the room and spray where ever they said the monster was hidding! it can't hurt to try! good luck!

Thanks for the tip! I read that online a while ago but haven't tried it. Just yesterday she said she saw a scary monster in her room so i went in there and asked the monsters very nicely to leave her room and they did. hee hee

I need to get out her spray bottle from her summer garden set and have it filled with "monster spray" water - for her!

After her cast comes off, I am hoping that her sleep issues will slowly go away and she'll feel more normal and comfortable and will therefore sleep better! I believe this is a combo of her surgery/cast and also just the age that she is at!

Denise
Mon to Jocelyn ~ 2 yrs old LOBPI