I am completely exhausted and need advice. I've been to an osteopath, soon an ENT. I don't know what to do anymore.

Question

My 5 year old wakes up several times a night. We even tried melatonin. It helps with falling asleep, but not to help with sleep cycles. I tried to reassure him, to accompany him in his sleep as much by lying next to him as to provide him with a stable routine. I also give him melatonin to help him fall asleep under the advice of his family doctor. It helps him fall asleep quickly but he still wakes up often at night, he comes to join us in our bed. Even if we put him back in his bed, he still comes back to join us.

Naji-tom Samaha · Accepted Answer

Good morning madam, This situation is very very common, I want to reassure you. Would it be possible to know what his doctor suggested? Have you tried anything for this, including non-pharmacological measures? Thank you for the information, I have consulted a fellow pediatrician on this matter. It seems that you have implemented measures that are recommended for a sleep routine. It would be highly suggested to review the relevance of naps if your child still takes them, and/or the bedtime. As you may have noticed, melatonin has not been shown to have any tangible effect on preventing awakenings, so I would suggest that you re-evaluate its appropriateness and review the possibility of sleeping with you. If your child knows it's an option, he or she will always give it a shot. Otherwise, you will need to rely on the doctor's advice to make sure you rule out other causes. Sincerely, Tom Samaha, Pharmacist