See this handsome young man? This sweet natured, tender hearted animal lover and the best big brother in the world? This is Lukas, one of the lights of my life, one of the stars in my galaxy. Lukas has a problem. Lukas does not sleep....not like kids his age are supposed to. He never has.
When he was a little bitty wee one, he was a night baby for the first couple of months. Up all night, sleep all day...fine. Then he switched on me and slept all night and was up all day....even better. And then he kept switching back and forth and has done so for the past FIVE years! The first year was not so bad, as I would just switch my sleep to adjust to his. But when baby brother Jakob was born, that was no longer an option. It was at that point in my life that I learned that sleep can sometimes be considered optional:)
When I say he doesn't sleep, I don't mean that he bounces off the walls all night, no. He will get in his bed and will lie in his bed ALL NIGHT, in the dark, and stare at the ceiling and think. (And of course I'm not sleeping either) He will then get up at sunrise (which he calls "rise and shine") and begin his day. At some point during the day, depending on how long he has been awake, he will finally fall asleep. He will then sleep from 6 to 8 hours and be up again for who knows how long. The longest he has stayed awake is 22 hours.
I have taken him to the doctor on many occasions, had him sleep studied and examined many times, all with the same results. There is nothing wrong with him. I have had his blood sugars, iron levels and thyroid tested. He has been tested for ADD and the other initials. Everything is fine. He is a normal, well adjusted, bright little boy. Who doesn't sleep. And the doctors say he is fine. (I did have one doctor who offered to write him a prescription for Klonopin so that I could get some sleep.......ummmmmmmmmm....NO....ya doof)
(Oh, and yes, I keep him and his brother on a nightly routine/schedule so that's not it)
Maybe he's just not a big sleeper. My father wasn't. He slept maybe 4 hours a night most of his life. Or maybe, once he starts school, he'll WANT to go to sleep at night. As long as he doesn't go to sleep in class:)
But this week, he's on track for an all night sleep. This week. Maybe it'll stick. Or maybe I'll be watching another night long infomercial. We'll see.
Peace alllllllll................
And good night Lukas and Jakob!:)
3 comments:
My oldest is a little like that, only maybe not as extreme. She goes to bed and her head just whirls. She'll come knocking on my door in the wee hours complaining that she can't sleep and she wants my help. I've given her all the tips and hints I know! Luckily it doesn't seem to happen as frequently now because it can be so frustrating. (For her and me.) Good luck with it my dear. Hopefully school will change things.
My heart goes out to you... really. Here's wishing you all a good night!
From the look on his face, I would say he can't sleep because he is making plans:-) For great minds, planning is the biggest part of any job.
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