When a Child's Sleeping Habits Change

Since we moved to Long Island from Atlanta on Memorial Day, my six-year-old son Clark's schedule has changed.

Clark has ADHD and wears the Daytrana patch from wakeup time until 4:30 pm every day. Before we moved he would eat huge meals at night (around 8:30 p.m.) and be in bed by 9 p.m. Since we moved, though, he no longer needs meals late at night, but he stays up very late. He is not tired until 11 p.m. or after, regardless of what went on during the day.

Everyone in our house has been dealing with this one way or another. Clark and I are sleeping in the same room due to lack of space. But I am exhausted by 9 p.m., because my daughter, Jessica, has been having nightmares every night. So I go up to the bedroom around 9 p.m. and try to get some sleep. My mother then stays up with Clark and brings him up to the room later.

Jessica still goes to bed at around 8 p.m. She is more aware of "the end of the day" and feels tired when it's bedtime. Now she understands that she and her brother have different bedtimes.

I don't want to be woken up every time he comes to bed. When we first moved into this house, Clark had trouble sleeping and didn't like the air mattress. Out of exhaustion, I accommodated him by letting him sleep on the big king bed while I slept on the air mattress on the floor.

The blow up mattress is very comfortable. But my mother has been saying that there's something wrong with the mom sleeping on the floor so her child can have the big bed. And I think I'm starting to agree with her.

We've been here over a month now. I think it's time to normalize the sleeping arrangements.