OCD

[Wilma Jenks]

Anyones child pull all nighters becasue of OCD???

[Worried_Dad]

Don't know if it was directly OCD-related, but insomnia was one of our ds's worst symptoms during the "dark days" of full-blown PANDAS. At one point, he was pulling all-nighters 2 or 3 times a week, which is horrible for anybody's physical and mental health. We tried all kinds of supplements, prescription meds like ambien and sonata, off-label stuff like desyrel... nothing helped consistently, and most made things even worse.

 

For our ds, effective PANDAS treatment (IVIG and high-dose augmentin XR) eventually did the trick, and the insomnia (thank goodness) faded. He hasn't pulled an all-nighter now in more than a year. Huge relief for the whole family!

[Wilma Jenks]

... and he had no OCD, when he was up that late?

[peglem]

OCD induced insomnia really sucks. My daughter will be exhausted and every time she lays down to sleep, ends up jumping up to perform some compulsion. Sometimes it'll play itself out, but sometimes we end up interfering w/ the compulsion- hers is usually arranging something- so she can't perform it. Then she has a huge blowout of anxiety (rage), but can finally fall asleep.

[Wilma Jenks]

does she also get the racing thoughts were she has to tell you every thought that pops into her head?

[peglem]

does she also get the racing thoughts were she has to tell you every thought that pops into her head?

My daughter cannot talk, so all I can know is what she does, not what she is thinking.

[SSS]

Yes, intrusive thoughts and fears have at times kept my dd5 up for hours- I now give melatonin at night about 20 minutes before bedtime-

she can fall asleep in her own bed now, with her door wide open and hall light on, but lately she is waking in the middle of the night, coming in our bed.

Anyway, the melatonin helps us a great deal. Also, epsom salt baths.