The first thing they did was test him for anemia (negative). Then we talked about his sleep patterns and how to watch for the signs that he is tired. We are supposed to watch for the time when he is engaging and conversational, but not silly or overly emotional (is there such a time?).
At that point, we should give him another 20-30 minutes and then start the bedtime routine (apparently, if he is already yawning and acting tired, he should already be in bed). The doctor also recommended we give him Melatonin supplements every night for at least two weeks, to see if that helps him fall asleep. (Note, he was much more refreshed this morning)
We chatted a bit about other ideas (shower before bed, move bedtime a bit earlier, bedtime and wake time should be the same every day, etc) . Then she did a quick exam.
As she was feeling around his throat, she asked if thyroid issues ran in our family (no). Apparently his are slightly enlarged. She ordered a blood test to check his thyroid level, and his Vitamin D level for good measure. This was his first blood draw (that he can remember) so it was a little exciting for him.
We should get the results today.
Side note: I googled 'thyroid problems in kids' so I could put a link over that word up above. Doing medical research online, based on scary words your doctor uses, is never EVER a good idea. I am now in a total panic over the possibilities. I've also just realized my doctor said she will be out today. I think I will go call the nurses line. And pace the house until I hear back. I'll post an update as soon as I hear.
**UPDATE 2:00pm: Thyroid tests came back completely normal. Whew.
3 comments:
I'm so glad that his results came back normal! Has the melatonin been helping? I know it helps many.
If you're interested in old helpful sleep posts, I've written 3 posts about it. Of course, they were geared for adults, but maybe you'll find something helpful in them. You can find 1 and links to the other 2 here: http://feliciafibro.com/2010/03/20/sleeping-well/
Hey, just one thing to consider trying- I have really enjoyed having a sunrise/sunset simulator. Lots of companies make them now. You can configure them to gradually light and dim on a preferred schedule, like an alarm clock with light instead of sound. It reminds you how in winter, the early darkness tends to gear you down, and in summer, the early light makes you wake up more refreshed. A fairly inexpensive and benign thing to try, anyway. My husband doesn't like it, so I don't use it now; but I used to really think it helped take advantage of just how your body responds to light in its wake/sleep cycles. They say all our sitting in front of electronically lit devices at night doesn't help with our ability to go to sleep when we should... [as I type on my computer when I should be going to bed...]
Thanks for the link Felicia! And Michelle, that is a great idea, I will look for one of those!
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