My Daughter's Inability to Sleep Through the Night

by Leslie
(Claremont, CA)

I truly appreciate reading about other families' experiences on this site to simply know we are not alone. Our daughter, now nearly 8 yrs. old, is still waking up 2-3 times nightly and is genuinely stressed and anxious about being alone and afraid. She relies on my husband and I to tuck her in, turn on some music, straighten her bed, etc. and always asks if we can snuggle her in her bed until she falls asleep.

We have always had difficult sleep issues with her. As an infant she had trouble falling asleep unless she was being held or co-sleeping with us. As a toddler she experienced night terrors, confusional arousals and sleep walking.

I know she is not getting the sleep she needs at night. This is definitely impacting her performance in class and affects her behavior during the day. She often exhibits ADD type behavior. We have tried so many variations on our nightly routine, all to no avail. How do we teach her healthy sleep habits when it seems that everything in her fights against it? It has taken a major toll on my husband and I, as we get very little quality sleep, resulting in ADD like symptoms even for myself at work and more frequent illness.

Every pediatrician we have spoken to has said that she will grow out of it but that has not proven to be true thus far. Should I seek out a sleep specialist? How do I know if this is
physical or bahavioral?

Any ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Leslie

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