For a friend...Please help..I'm out of Ideas??

[frano]

Good morning ladies, I really need some help for a friend

My friend has a 26 month old dd, this little girl has some developmental delay and has some mobility problems also (not sure if its relevant). Anyway, she was a good sleeper and napper, naps got cut out becasue she began waking really early, this stopped the ew's, then she might wake once during the night, cry for a few mins and go back to sleep.

Last week she was really ill with d&v and was very dehydrated so was hospitalised for 3 nights, since then nighttime have been a disaster, sh goes down at 7 wakes at 9.30, could be awake for 1 hour, the up again at 5 ish. My friend has let her dd cry, tried offering drinks, lying with her etc etc but to no avail. This lo is now getting really angry with her mum and has started punching her mum when she tries to soothe her. My friend is at the end of her rope, she has a ds aged 1 and dd is now waking him so they are all up at 5am.

Her psychologist was of no help at all so now I'm asking for some BW advice

TIA

Fran xxx

[lilisuze]

when my ds was in hospital for 3 nights, it took about 2 weeks to get back on track. I had a thread on here and no matter what I tried he would not settle properly. I think being in hospital is such a massive upheaval that lo's just cannot settle back down. Little people (and people in general ) rarely sleep well in hospital, and she is probably horrendously overtired. Your friend could try doing soothing things in the day, car rides, out in pushchair, maybe put a nap in for a week or so to try and cure the OT problems. If lo wont nap she could make sure there is time in the day to snuggle down on the couch with a dvd and a blanket to get resting time in.

HTH

Lili xx

[momtonb&ab]

i was going to to suggest the exact same as Lili - that she is likely OT the poor little thing.  we had a hospital stay last year for bacterial pneumonia for 5 days with dd and it was a nightmare getting sleep back on track.  the hospital is SO invasive that way, no quiet, no real dark, lots of interruptions with nurses checking on things - never mind the anxiety mom has that child senses and the fact that she was really ill and sleeping in a scary strange place.    poor little thing.

if she is willing, i would suggest offering her a nap for the next few days until things sort themselves out.  the punching bit is a sure indicator of OT aggression. 

[frano]

Thanks LAdies, I just text friend and dd is having a nap as we speak, I really hope she sleeps better tonight. Will keep ye posted xx