Can you hear that?
Those little snores and peaceful sighs.
It is J and he is getting some much needed sleep! Hurrah!!
The wonderful, glorious, marvellous medicine named Melatonin has worked its magic on J and he is now able to drift off to sleep at a reasonable time and refresh his mind and his body.
So why the heck was this medicine so long in being prescribed?
Why did I have to fight tooth and nail to get it?
Why is it deemed acceptable to allow my son to have so little sleep and such a poor quality of sleep for such a long time - over three years.
This medicine is not a sedative. It is not an anti depressent. It is a naturally occuring substance that each and every one of us should produce in our brains, but for children and adults with special needs such as Js their brains do not make enough of this and that means a lack of sleep, a problem in getting to sleep and a fall out of learning and behaviour the following day.
It is a negative cycle perpetuated by not getting enough sleep.
So on night one I gave him the 3ml at around 10pm. 10pm may appear late but I was advised not to give it to him too early as it was a nudge along into allowing him to drift to sleep and too early and he would miss 'the window' and then still be awake at midnight as per usual.
I checked on him at 10.30pm and he was sparko!
He slept all night too.
The next night I administered 3ml at 9.30pm and he was asleep within twenty minutes.
The following night I reduced it from 3ml to 2ml (even though I was told I could increase it to 6ml) and gave it to him at 8pm. He was asleep at 8.30pm and slept right through till 7.30am.
Does this not show that he needed this ages ago?!
Does this not show that the negligence and 'don't care' attitude shown to J and myself by the professionals is awful and wrong?
He has been more alert and more cheery in the daytime too.
Sleep is a necessity that we all need.
When published medical journals state quite clearly that children like J lack the melatonin production required to enable adequate sleep it is almost a closed door attitude from everywhere you go trying to find help for your childs lack of sleep.
I did not give it to him one night to see what would happen.
He was struggling to go to sleep. He was restless. He was sitting there just wondering why he could'nt get to sleep. All the things he has been doing for years. Night after night. Week after week. Month after month.
He needed this. He has to keep having it.
It is vital for his well being and happiness.
To deny a child or adult this, when they so clearly need it, is unacceptable and negligent.
I just hope they do not stop him being prescribed it in the future.
