difficult child and trouble waking on time in morning

[butterflydreams]

Ok, so here's the thing, difficult child has been overall doing really well over the past few months, but he has trouble waking up in the morning. He takes his medications about 6pm. He has had trouble going to sleep so the doctor had prescribed him Trazadone a while ago - for the most part it works great. His prescribed amount is 150mg. As long as he takes it about 6pm he is able to wake up about 8am or so on his own. School starts at 8am which means I start trying to wake him at 6:30am, he really needs to be up about 7am. For awhile he was really having problems falling asleep at school until about lunch time and then he would be more awake. psychiatrist said that I could try cutting back on the Trazadone. I have found that if he takes 100mg at about 6pm then he isn't drowsy all day. Some days he gets up fine, but others he is still out close to 8am. This week alone, he has been tardy 4 days. I have tried explaining to the school that he needs this medication to sleep and that he can't help it when he can't wake in the morning. They won't listen, they say that he is making a choice not to wake up. I have tried to get across that he shouldn't be punished for something that is out of his control. There are still times, even with all of the medications he takes that he is wide awake at 10pm or later and other times he is asleep by 8pm. Bedtime is 9pm regardless, even if he is awake he has to be laying down.

This week he has some hypermania but not real bad. I guess he got talked to earlier this week when he was more than 1/2 hour late for school by the school counselor. The night before he was pacing around and "buzzing" as I call it and had trouble going to sleep - he was wide awake still at midnight (his medications were taken at 6pm). Anyway his school counslor tried to tell him that not sleeping was NOT a sign of mania - that he was making a choice. He told me that night "mom, she doesn't know what she is talking about".

Anyway, we have a meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the MDT results for his IEP evaluation. How should I handle the whole tardiness issues? Any ideas - I don't think he should be penalized because of it.

I have been discussing this with my boyfriend, we have both come to the conclusion that difficult child needs out of this situation, it is not helping him at all. I am looking into an online school that is a charter school with our school district. I think it would relieve alot of stress for everyone. difficult child has a friend that is doing this online school too.

If I could figure out a way to stay home with difficult child I would in a heart beat, I am trying to figure things out.

Any suggestions?

Christy

 

[gcvmom]

You're right, she doesn't get it. The sleeping is not a sign of mania, the LACK of SLEEPING IS -- He's up until midnight, he's gonna be tired. He takes medications to help him sleep, he's gonna be lethargic in the morning. Perhaps a printout of the drug's side-effects and indications will spell it out clearly enough for the school since they' don't seem to be able to process what they HEAR.

Definitely address the tardy issue. It's beyond his control. Bring the medical info as well as a handout on childhoold bipolar and spend a few minutes SCHOOLING the school on the realities of the situation.

 

[smallworld]

I'd recomend getting a letter from the psychiatrist explaining the situation from a medical perspective. I'd have it available in time for the IEP meeting.

It sounds as if the Trazadone is not a reliable choice for sleep. Will the psychiatrist consider a different sleep medication?

 

[butterflydreams]

I don't know. difficult child has an appointment next week (unfortunately later in the week) I will speak with him then about what is going on and any solutions.