My son is sleeping!! [Archive] - HealthBoards Message Boards

SueA

08-05-2002, 12:10 AM

Had to share.....I have a five year old who has a brain tumor. He has had trouble sleeping since it was diagnosed. (waking at 2.30am regularly to start his day). We managed to stretch his sleep out til 4.30am most nights with the use of melatonin. Now I have him on a calcium and magnesium supplement at night - Eureka! He has been sick with a flu at present and is very sleepy anyway, but even with his naps in the daytime (which he either wakes up by himself, or very easy to wake up compared to not being able to stir him) he is sleeping 9-10 hours at night. It is wonderful to have a little boy crawl into my bed at 5.30am and sleep til 7am. I know the flu has knocked him around a bit, but the funny thing is, his bigger brother, has responded to the supplements as well, he is also sleeping alot better. I hope it continues. Sue

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drs

08-05-2002, 12:02 PM

Sue, I was one of the people who recommended the cal/mag. I'm sooo happy to hear he's getting some sleep. Isn't it wonderful when a natural product works so well!!!
I can just hear the relief in your post, and wanted to say congrats.
Diana

SueA

08-05-2002, 08:49 PM

Thank you Diana. It is early days and once he is over the flu, I am hoping he will continue the routine. I have had other people ask me how the calcium and magnesium help sleeping. Can you explain how it actually helps the body sleep? I was giving him magnesium phosphate in the mornings with his breakfast and he would have very long, sound naps that we had trouble waking him from. Since I stopped giving it in the morning, he will still have a nap, but he will wake himself after about an hour or we can wake him easily. Sue

MakeItStop

08-06-2002, 12:35 PM

Where did you get calcium and magnesium supplements for children? I have a 4 year old with a sleep disorder. They call it sleep walking even though she doesn't get up. I would love to see if this helps in anyway. I have tried it for myself with no luck, but maybe it will help my daughter.
Thanks, Kelly

jeffm

08-09-2002, 11:54 PM

SUEA,
hope you don't mind me asking, what type of brain tumor does your son have?

I'm am a BT survivor, been 3 years since I had mine removed.

jeffm

SueA

08-10-2002, 10:14 AM

Kelly, I get the supplements from a health food shop. Some are specifically for children, the calcium is in the shape of a robot. The magnesium phosphate are tissue salts, I also give some zinc supplement as well occasionally. If your are unsure, have a chat to a naturopath. My 8 year old son suffers from a type of sleep walking too. He is very stressed and I have been working towards reducing it for him. The supplements are helping his sleep too. Try them, they will not hurt and may help.

Jeffm Hi, Daniel has an optic hypothalamic glioma (low grade malignant) as well as multiple hamartomas throughout his brain in association with neurofibromatoisis type 1.The position makes it inoperable and can be treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy if and when it is proven to be growing. So far we have had regression and are staying one step ahead of conventional treatment. He is one cute kid thoroughly enjoying preschool, drawing, golf etc etc. Great to hear you are doing well. Sue

jeffm

08-10-2002, 12:42 PM

I wish you & your son the best!
there will be nothing better for him then loving family who support him, and maybe a very good doctor
*smile*

jeffm

MakeItStop

08-10-2002, 05:58 PM

Thanks for your help SuaA. I will go check it out. I would do anything to help her sleep. You can see how tired she is.

drs

08-16-2002, 01:42 PM

SueA, how is your son doing now with the sleep problem...just thought I'd ask since it's been awhile since his flu he had...?

The kind of magnessium I take it the citrate kind, it's water soluble, I have noticed a big diff. on my back muscles, that's where it was hurting all the time. Do you take any Sue?
Diana

SueA

08-18-2002, 06:23 AM

Hi Diana, thankyou for asking. He is doing okay, started to wake at 3am again, however, my husband was still giving him his hyaline cartilage at night. We have since stopped that and are hoping he will fall back into a 10 hour pattern. If not, I think I will give him some phenergan to help. My eight year old is sleeping fine with the magnesium and calcium though. I know of an adult with the same condition as Daniel has started using these supplements and she seems to be sleeping better as well. I sometimes take the magnesium and calcium but not regularly. Sue

drs

08-20-2002, 01:23 PM

Glad to hear he's still doing at least OK. I have no clue what those other things are that you are giving him. As far as the magnessium, some people need at least citrate in the label, so it's easier for the body to break it down. Citrate is the water soluble kind. I was hoping your boy would be able to metabalize the kind with the variety in it. Have you tried the plain citrate type of Magnessium on him? The lady at the vit. shop I go to says if the plain citrate isn't working, try the variety kind. Maybe I'm confusing you by now....hope not. :) Diana

MakeItStop

08-20-2002, 08:24 PM

SueA, I found the childrens mangesium and calcium tabs. Unfortunately I had to stop after 2 nights. Both nights I tried it, her night terrors came back. The bad thing was that she remembered them this time when she woke up. I'm glad this is working well for your kids.

SueA

08-21-2002, 08:18 AM

Kelly, I am sorry to hear it is not helping with her. Have you tried some melatonin? It should give a better quality sleep. Does your daughter eat close to bedtime? I know two of my kids will have bad dreams if they eat near bedtime. Sue

drs

08-21-2002, 11:41 AM

My daughter has nightmares when her bladder is full, she knows if she doesn't empty it before bed and wakes up with a bad dream...that she forgot to go before bed. The eating thing makes sense too... might be worth a try. Diana

[This message has been edited by drs (edited 08-21-2002).]

ckelly

08-31-2002, 09:17 PM

Sue A, I have a new username, I've been having problems with mine. Anyway, I have not given my daughter melatonin as she is only 4 and don't really like to give her anything. She does have allergies and has a Rx for Zyrtec. It makes her somewhat drowsy, but really doesn't help her sleep. Sometimes I give her Benedryl instead and then she's out like a light.
To drs - Having a full bladder does definitely make it harder for her to sleep. She wakes up several times before she realizes she needs to use the bathroom.
Thanks for all your suggestions,
Kelly

reachclear

09-11-2002, 01:16 AM

Hi There, I just thought I would congratulate you on your sons recovery and to tell you that I also have tried the Cal/Mag suppliment and it was amazing, cause it even helps people stop taking drugs! So I'm glad to see that it helped your son, I found the formula in a book called "Answers to Drugs" Under the section on drugs.
It has changed my life and I sleep haeps better now.
Anyway, once again, Congratulations.

------------------
Drew Gason

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 09-11-2002).]

SueA

09-11-2002, 07:12 AM

Hi guys, we have had a little set back with the sleeping. He started to display symptoms constantly weeing which may indicate a condition associated with his glioma. At the moment we are waiting on test results. His symptoms have settled down, but the sleeping is a concern once again. I am trying the mag and cal as well as the melatonin. They don't seem to be working. I have tried the clonidine also. Hopefully, I can settle him down again, otherwise, it was good while it lasted. Off topic a little. He came home from preschool the other day with a friend's phone number and delighted in being able to phone him. One morning I received a phone call at 6am. The lady just wanted to check to see if Daniel was okay. Apparently he had got hold of the teenagers phone book and rang a number at four o'clock in the morning. I have had to hide the phone book as well as the phone. I can laugh now, but it was embarassing at the time. Sue