On the way to Middle Boy's therapy tonight we had a discussion in the car about restful sleep. Neither of us every have restful sleep.
We talked about melatonin for sleep which his doctor and my doctor have recommended more than once. He told me that he doesn't want to take it, because he sleeps too hard and isn't able to be "on guard". He said when he sleeps he like to be "partially awake", because he promised someone he would never, ever let his guard down.
I asked if he would tell me the story. When he was six his teenage cousin was at his grandma's with him and they were riding bikes in the alley behind the house. He went inside for some reason and his cousin was beaten up by a group of boys. He was the one who found his cousin and his cousin told him to never let his guard down or this could happen to him. This has stuck with Middle Boy for YEARS.
We talked about what we can do to make him feel safe at home...at least safe enough to have a peaceful sleep. We brainstormed things like making sure all doors and windows are closed and locked, making sure all blinds are closed, making sure we have our cell phones charged and ready to call if there is an intruder, and getting night lights for all of the rooms in the sleeping area of our house. We are going to make a checklist we can do nightly until it is a routine. Honestly...most of these things already occur, but if it makes him more comfortable we can check them off every night.
He thinks if all of that is done he will feel comfortable enough to take melatonin to help him sleep. He wants me to hand him the melatonin every night so that I will know that we should start the routine at that time. We'll just make it part of the checklist. He has taken it TWICE since the doctor recommended it and he did sleep a lot more peacefully those times.
Praises for being able to talk through fears and prayers for peaceful sleep.
We talked about melatonin for sleep which his doctor and my doctor have recommended more than once. He told me that he doesn't want to take it, because he sleeps too hard and isn't able to be "on guard". He said when he sleeps he like to be "partially awake", because he promised someone he would never, ever let his guard down.
I asked if he would tell me the story. When he was six his teenage cousin was at his grandma's with him and they were riding bikes in the alley behind the house. He went inside for some reason and his cousin was beaten up by a group of boys. He was the one who found his cousin and his cousin told him to never let his guard down or this could happen to him. This has stuck with Middle Boy for YEARS.
We talked about what we can do to make him feel safe at home...at least safe enough to have a peaceful sleep. We brainstormed things like making sure all doors and windows are closed and locked, making sure all blinds are closed, making sure we have our cell phones charged and ready to call if there is an intruder, and getting night lights for all of the rooms in the sleeping area of our house. We are going to make a checklist we can do nightly until it is a routine. Honestly...most of these things already occur, but if it makes him more comfortable we can check them off every night.
He thinks if all of that is done he will feel comfortable enough to take melatonin to help him sleep. He wants me to hand him the melatonin every night so that I will know that we should start the routine at that time. We'll just make it part of the checklist. He has taken it TWICE since the doctor recommended it and he did sleep a lot more peacefully those times.
Praises for being able to talk through fears and prayers for peaceful sleep.
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