Additional Needs

My Daughter’s Needs Might Mean She Never Sleeps a Full Night

Posted by Caro Robbertze on 8th October 2014 Additional Needs

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She would wake up six times a night. I had to get up as her father could not handle her.

She would scream our ears off. I felt so helpless.

I could not do anything for her and I could not get any sleep.

Most days I was on zombie mode.

I really lived on Red Bull for over a year. I sometimes still do.

Every time she would wake up I had to run to her room. If I was not fast enough she would throw up all over everything.

If I was, she would just throw up on the floor.

I became a master of aiming in the right direction. Funny enough it would mostly happen at night.

During the day she would only sleep in my arms for not more then 1 – 1 ½ hours.

The first time she slept through the night she was about 18 month old.

I woke up at 7 and nearly had a heart attack. I had to go check if she was breathing.

She had a movement monitor under her but I thought it might have malfunctioned. But everything was fine and she was breathing.

It does not happen often that she sleeps through the night but when it does mom is happy and so is baby.

Everyone asked in the beginning “is she sleeping through the night?’’

My reply would be “what is that? I don’t know what you mean?” People stopped asking after about 20 months. Because my answer would never change.

The pediatric neurologist said we can give her Melatonin. We tried it and after 3 months it started working.

But then they took it off the market in South Africa.

We were then back to square one.

I don’t think she will ever be a good sleeper.

So I just have to make peace with no sleep and I think my body has gotten used to it by now.