Thank u for this Dr.Emmer. . My husband and I are at our wits end. Our 3 yr old daughter laughs out loud in her sleep then wakes up and runs and screams like someone’s pouring acid on her. I have a back inury so if I pick her up I’m useless and in pain for days. I’ve tried holding her and hugging her on my knees but she doesnt like it. During the day if shes in full on tantrum mode and I’m lucky enough to be in zen mode I simply hum a song I make up and go about my chores while stopping to smile at her. She calms almost immediately… I wasnt sure if she was just curious about what song I was singing and the fact I was calm. It happens almost the same time most nights as well 3am-4am. A friend said to have her tested for parasites bc they are active laying eggs at night and cause intense itching and even acute pain. That may be why she wants to be held bc her tummy is pressed against dad while he walks around the house and sings to her. Shes is Daddys little girl for sure. There are times he has to travel out of town for work for up to 4 days at a time and I panic. The last time this happened the neighbors called the police to do a wellness check.The officers were very nice and sympathetic once I explained shes post liver transplant w a g-tube, has some brain damage from being in a coma and doesnt like her daddy not being home period. Sorry for the novella. THANK YOU again!!!! I will obviously have her tested per my friends advice but you’ve given me hope and now I’m not panicking about Daddys next absense. Much love and gratitude from FL. ?

Deb… Migraines really do throw a wrench into the mix. I have to say, a very good acquaintance of mine who is a nurse used to suffer from migraines. A fellow doctor told her she ought to go to an acupuncturist (which she laughed about but finally said she’d go just so he’d stop talking about it). After a couple of sessions, her migraine frequencies diminished significantly. Just something to think about… Good luck with your kiddo!

Thanks for sharing at #everythingkids!

You just never know how your son might perceive his room! And what you might not think as a distraction really could be. Good wishes on helping make your son’s room a sensory haven 🙂

What a wonderful trick! Thanks for sharing 🙂

We had and still have a nighttime ritual which led to bedtime. The ritual has constantly changed, but generally involved book reading, singing a few songs, lights out, back rubbing. But the biggest issue was not getting him to sleep, but what to do when he would wake up? For the first year or two, that was the biggest problem. He would go to sleep fairly easily but about 30 to 60 minutes later, he would up crying. I would go in and put him back to sleep and he would wake up crying an hour later. We tried the Ferber method one night, but did not have the strength to continue. Finally the solution hit me. Comfort him, reassure him, but stop going into his room! So, for the next two or three nights, I would stick my head in his room, sing song, read to him, but I did not enter his room. Some nights, I sat just outside his door for hours talking and singing to him. My goal was to give him the confidence that I was there and cared about him, but without giving him the incentive to wake up. After about three or four nights, he began to sleep through the night and he still does to this day.

I would definitely give them a try again. My son has absolutely loved them…