Last week and now again this week we are experiencing some near-sleepless nights. Last week, Faith was only sleeping for about an hour at a time before waking up, tossing and turning on the verge of crying. Each time this happened I would get up with her and hold her until she went back to sleep. Then an hour later we would repeat the process. This was nothing new for her. It had gone on before and each time it happened I wondered what could be going on. Rob and I figured she was going through a growth spurt and having pains in her legs like I used to have. I decided this time though, that I would take her in to see her pediatrician.
I'm so glad I did. He attributed her restlessness to muscle spasms which is common for those with high muscle tone (tight muscles). It made sense too because of the way she was acting. It's as if she just couldn't get comfortable. When you or I sleep we can actually relax our muscles, but Faith can't because her brain is not capable of sending her muscles the signal to relax. He said the muscle spasms can be worse during a growth spurt. He gave us a prescription for a medication called Avitan which will hopefully help her relax so she can sleep better.
With that mystery solved, I had high hopes of actually getting some good sleep. This all ended though when Faith came down with a cold and couldn't sleep because of her stuffy nose. The only way she could sleep was in an upright position so we both ended up on the couch so I could sit up with her. I'm thankful she didn't have school on Monday and I was able to take advantage of respite care so I could get some sleep. But Monday night was the same thing with her not being able to sleep well because of her cold. Today she is better than yesterday but I still fear it could be another sleepless night. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever again in my life get a full night's sleep and also how long a person can actually function on little sleep.
I do have to remember though that when I am weak the Lord is strong and I know He has given me strength to make it through some very tough days after little sleep. But despite this, I do continue to pray that Faith will one day have no sleep issues and that maybe, just maybe, all three of us in this household will have many good nights of sleep.
I'm so glad I did. He attributed her restlessness to muscle spasms which is common for those with high muscle tone (tight muscles). It made sense too because of the way she was acting. It's as if she just couldn't get comfortable. When you or I sleep we can actually relax our muscles, but Faith can't because her brain is not capable of sending her muscles the signal to relax. He said the muscle spasms can be worse during a growth spurt. He gave us a prescription for a medication called Avitan which will hopefully help her relax so she can sleep better.
With that mystery solved, I had high hopes of actually getting some good sleep. This all ended though when Faith came down with a cold and couldn't sleep because of her stuffy nose. The only way she could sleep was in an upright position so we both ended up on the couch so I could sit up with her. I'm thankful she didn't have school on Monday and I was able to take advantage of respite care so I could get some sleep. But Monday night was the same thing with her not being able to sleep well because of her cold. Today she is better than yesterday but I still fear it could be another sleepless night. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever again in my life get a full night's sleep and also how long a person can actually function on little sleep.
I do have to remember though that when I am weak the Lord is strong and I know He has given me strength to make it through some very tough days after little sleep. But despite this, I do continue to pray that Faith will one day have no sleep issues and that maybe, just maybe, all three of us in this household will have many good nights of sleep.
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