Sleep? What is that?!!

I always knew that having babies meant you pretty much have to expect that you won’t be lying in until 10 in the morning anymore and would have plenty of broken sleep, but I never expected to still be in this phase 11 years on!!!!

There was one night when Isabelle was probably only a few months old, and my husband and I were sat downstairs when we kept hearing a loud thud over the monitor. We rushed upstairs only to find Isabelle lifting both legs up in her little sleeping bag thing and slamming them down onto the mattress! She must have had abs of steel by the time she was one! The leg moving continued as she got older which I now know is her stimming.

My eldest never settled as a baby unless you sat next to her holding her hand, and my youngest was the same. I remember waking up in the night to settle Isabelle for the 100th time that night and bringing her into my bed, to wake a few minutes later and feeling my eldest (4 at the time) lying across the bottom of the bed!

I’m pleased to say that we now only have my youngest still needing us to lie with her whilst she goes to sleep! Unfortunately, the night-time routine doesn’t end with me just tucking Isabelle in and sneaking out once she’s asleep. She will not sleep unless I am with her all night.

I think I just assumed it was my fault she didn’t settle herself from being a baby, or we weren’t doing enough with her in the day to tire her out. But no, we could be out all day, not stopping and Isabelle would still take a couple of hours to settle and be wide awake at 6 in the morning, raring to go!

I know anxiety has impacted Isabelle's sleep due to her getting upset about changes to her school day or things happening such as her birthday and even Christmas. Her anxiety has lessened since I have been home educating her as she is comfortable and feels safe at home and there are less unpredictable events as any changes we talk through before they happen.

We are currently at the point of waiting for a referral for melatonin as the sleep problem has been there all Isabelle’s life and as she has now hit puberty, the moods and behaviours due to lack of sleep are increasing.

.

We have tried all the usual remedies over the years like night lights, music, routine (obviously!), no screen time before bed, quiet time before bed, the list goes on. I always hate when you bring up the topic of sleep when with other Mum's or doctors as they say things like 'try some lavender in their room', or 'have you tried a nice warm bath before bed?', yes, yes and yes!

We are currently waiting for a referral to a sleep specialist which I think could result in her being prescribed melatonin. I think when you know you have exhausted every avenue, you have to admit defeat and look at alternatives as I just want Isabelle to finally have a more settled sleep where she switches off and lets her body and mind get the rest it is supposed to get.