Sleep - or lack of it ! help | ADHD Information
The doctor is trying her on Strattera for sleep reasons but i will look into this
My ds is also 6 years old and like still does not sleep through the night. We had a night much like you described last week. I gave him his 3mg of melatonin and sent him off to bed which usually does the trick. To no avail I gave him the 2nd 3mg tablet of melatonin at about midnight. No such luck. Finally I told him to go play PlayStation until he felt tired. He didn't come to bed unti 2:30 a.m.
I called the doctor first thing in the morning and explained our night. He rx'd clondine. I am afraid to add yet another med to the mix, so I have it on hold at the pharmacy. This way I know if it's midnight again I can run and pick it up.
But I hear you I get jealous when I hear proud new parents telling me that their 5 month old is sleeping through the night. I want to tell them where to stick it because my 6 year old doesn't sleep through the night.
I thought that I had read that somewhere as well, that too much can have the opposite effect....9mg is too much melatonin, and probably the reason she is not sleeping. A little goes a long way, and 9 mg is not safe. try 1 mg and see if that works?anything over 3 mg can cause sleeplessness nd nightmares.Have you tried melatonin? You can buy it at GNC, or at dollar general, or a drug store. Ask your doctor about it, and try it, it really helps!
If you have tried that and it was ineffective, ask the doc about tenex (guanfacine) or clonidine. The guanfacine helps my son sleep deeper and longer,(he never slept past 8 even on the weekends, but now I have to wake him at 10 most weekends to give his meds) but the melatonin did the trick to make him drowsy as well. The clonidine is much more sedating than the guanfacine, but both have sedating properties.
Since my D was born she has never slept a single night! I am now past myself - ive tried everything.She is 6 years old and on meds its 12pm yet again and still she is not tired .
Has anyone got a child this age and offer advice ? Im totally worn out and the only spare time i have is when i go to bed !
Clonidine is a medication which lowers the blood pressure. Used often to help sleep with Adhd kids iit provides a small window of opportunity when they can go to sleep. My son took it for several years until I weaned him off of it and used melatonin and then GabaCalm for a short time until he was able to go to sleep on his own.
He hasn't had any problems going to sleep for the last couple of years.
Last night he chose not to go to sleep due to distractions.
I found him in the kitchen making a smoothie after 4am. Poor choice...he had two important tests today. (He is a hs senior. He has done this about once or twice a year.) I was one mad mom this morning. Oh well....life goes on. 
Gotta keep my sense of humor. yes tried melatonin she is on 9mg - no effect !
what exactly is clonidine ?
Passionflower helped my son sleep better. He would fall asleep easier. I just bought a product from Zellers called sleep relax formula. He took it last night and it helped him fall asleep quickly.Here is some information on clonidine and its role in ADHD treatment:
http://www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com/march02/adhd.html
It is in the same class of meds as guanfacine (Tenex), but is more sedating than guanfacine. They are blood pressure meds that have some effectivity for ADHD symptoms, and can be used to help with sleep issues related to stimulants.
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