I Drugged My Kid...

[quantumleap]

...and it worked.
DD is almost 19 months, and has literally NEVER, in her whole life slept through the night. Never. Ever. The longest stretch we ever got was 4 hours when she was brand new, but by the time she was a month old, we were excited about 2 hours in a row.
Last night, we totally blew it, and instead of putting dd to bed after completing the bedtime routine (she was tired), we put her in the mei tai on dp's back ad walked to get a movie. She completely perked up while we were out, and we spent the next TWO hours trying to get her to sleep. Finally, I was totally at a loss, and we were both ready to tos her out a window, and I saw the little bottle of Hyland's Calms Forte (DP's). And, well, I dosed her. With TWO adult tablets.
And then she slept. From about 9h30 until 5h45. I woke up at 4h45 and totally panicked. I was convinced she had fallen out of bed and knocked herself unconscious or something, but no, she was just *sleeping*!
So, um, how bad of a thing is this, to drug one's child? Especially with a product intended for adults? I know it's just homeopathics, so I'm not concerned on the same level I would be if it were conventional pain killers or sleep "aids", but still? Thoughts?

[VillageMom6]

Oh, honey... I thought you were going to say that you gave your little one Benedryl or Dramamine or Ambien or something. I was going to empathize but suggest that you speak with your doctor or a sleep clinic.

But a homeopathic remedy? I am no expert on those and I'm sure you'll hear from more experienced users, but I was under the impression that you could safely give her an entire bottle of those pills to no ill effect.

Very best wishes and much empathy to you!

[Tway]

I totally get you on the drug thing--I'd love to get DD to sleep more than 4 hours in a row! But I would check with the pharmacist on what kind of dosage can affect a baby. Even homeopathic meds are meds--that's why some interact with prescription medications (like St. John's Wart and the pill, for example) and you're supposed to tell your doctor/pharmacist if ever you are taking any.

I highly doubt you did anything to harm your babe, and I remember times I'd make a deal with the devil to get some sleep--but check just to be on the safe side.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

They make a child's version of Calm's Forte as well that you could try if the formula seems to work for her. Otherwise, a naturopath could probably give you the best advice about what would be a safe dosage for her.

[July09Mama]

I think it's FINE! Hyland's makes a calm's forte remedy for kids that our midwife specifically recommended when our dd was a newborn. I've honestly never really thought it worked very well for A, but after reading this, I plan to try again. But seriously, she's fine and I'm glad you got some sleep!

[XanaduMama]

Calm's Forte (adult) helped my kid sleep too, on a LONG plane ride when he was 1. However, he also went on to eat an entire bottle of the kids' Calms Forte (at age 3 or 4), and showed absolutely no effect. I'm pretty sure you're ok!

Also, this same child never STTN either--2 hours at a stretch was a good thing, in his first year. We nightweaned at 20mo when I was pregnant and exhausted, which helped, but he started STTN on his own shortly before dd was born, when he was about 27mo (THE IRONY!). He's a good sleeper now, though he still gets up once during the night and comes in our room. He also gave up naps pretty early, and that did help with nighttime sleep. Hang in there!

[One_Girl]

I was desparate for sleep when my dd was ready to phase out of naps but was forced to nap at school and I tried to drug my dd as well once. She didn't sleep until midnight or later and I got very little sleep until I was able to take time off to get her on a more normal sleep schedule so she would be too awake to sleep at school. It didn't work, I gave her a quarter piece of children's benadryl and she was even more awake than usual. It was absolutely horrible and I don't recommend using drugs to induce sleep because you don't know how they will affect her system, both in the short term and in the longterm. Even homeopathic things can be destructive, in America they are unregulated and are sometimes mixed with very dangerous things for kids to have like aspirin. Sleepless in America is a great book for sleep related ideas, if you haven't looked into it you might consider giving it a try.

[MamaChicken]

I use the adult calms forte with my three little ones and it works well too. I give them each a single dose and they just sleep more relaxed and calm. Worth it!

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by Tway

Even homeopathic meds are meds--that's why some interact with prescription medications (like St. John's Wart and the pill, for example)

St. John's Wort pills are not homeopathy.

[lovesdaffodils]

Originally Posted by VillageMom6

Oh, honey... I thought you were going to say that you gave your little one Benedryl or Dramamine or Ambien or something.

Me too! :

Those homeopathic tablets are just sugar pills, no active ingredient in them, so like others said, she could take the whole bottle and be fine. (My son did that once when he was little with the bottle of teething tablets!) Glad she finally got some sleep, and you and your DP too!

[DarkPassenger]

Originally Posted by Tway

I totally get you on the drug thing--I'd love to get DD to sleep more than 4 hours in a row! But I would check with the pharmacist on what kind of dosage can affect a baby. Even homeopathic meds are meds--that's why some interact with prescription medications (like St. John's Wart and the pill, for example) and you're supposed to tell your doctor/pharmacist if ever you are taking any.

I highly doubt you did anything to harm your babe, and I remember times I'd make a deal with the devil to get some sleep--but check just to be on the safe side.

St johns wort is an herb, not a homeopathic remedy

[blessedwithboys]

no harm done! we actually graduated from hylands to melatonin (under professioanl supervision) bc of my kids' sleep disorders

[Drummer's Wife]

I definitely wouldn't say you drugged your kid to sleep. Homeopahics don't equal drugs (or herbs ). I've used children's calms forte in the past and sometimes felt like it made a difference. Glad your LO got some solid rest.

[LCBMAX]

I like all the responses you've gotten, so I have nothing to add there.

I am very sympathetic to your impulse in writing the post, especially since our experience a month ago: our dr told us to use benedryl to help our son get a little sleep during an illness that had him up all night, every night. It was sooooooo nice to experience him sleeping like a rock for the 3 hours it worked, and for about a week after, my husband and I would look longingly at the bottle and fantasize about being the kind of well-rested (but wrong-headed) people who would use it on their kid without good reason (except sleeplessness.)

[mommaklo]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

Even homeopathic things can be destructive, in America they are unregulated and are sometimes mixed with very dangerous things for kids to have like aspirin.

I have yet yet to find any homeopathic product by hylands,boiron, etc that contains asprin and I just spent 3 years working at a supplement/health food store.

[lisavark]

oh my gosh. Now I want to go get some of that calm forte stuff. I've never used it, although we use Hyland's teething tablets regularly. DD is 28 months and has never slept all night (and by all night I mean five hours straight).

I'm trying to nightwean...again... but wow, there's a part of me that is so ready to try some kind of drug. Like an actual drug. I talked to our doctor about it last month, that's how desperate I am. Fortunately our doctor is really not into using drugs and talked me down from my ledge. But I'd much rather try Hyland's than melatonin.

But are they really just "sugar pills"? what's in them that promotes sleep?

[quantumleap]

They're "sugar pills" in the sense that it's a lactose base, 'cause the homeopathics need something to "stick" to. That's why you're not supposed to touch them with your hands (cause the actual medicine will then wind up on your hands instead of in your child's mouth). You're also supposed to have a 20ish minute space between food/drink and homeopathics. Water not withstanding.
Thanks for the reassurance. I'm actually pretty familiar with a lot of homeopathics, and use them regularly on our whole family. I don't think I was really very uncomfortable with the Calms Forte itself, just a bit put off by the idea of the "adult" part, and mostly I just felt/feel a little guilty about using medication to get my child to sleep. But, oh, sleep, how I do love thee!
For the record, I tried the tabs again last night (at 4am), and although dd did sleep in until 7h15, she also was awake until 5am, and I had to physically restrain her for a good 20 minutes before she passed out. Awful. I feel AWFUL when I do that. Nothing else seems to work though. She will literally roll around, sit up, jabber, climb all over me, etc, etc from midnight until 6am, at which point we just get up. She does NOT "eventually fall asleep". Ever.
Anyway. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's used this stuff on occasion. Thanks for the reassurance.

[sapphire_chan]

If it contains alcohol, then it was the alcohol that put her to sleep and that is a problem. If it doesn't, then I'd say it just let her relax enough to go to sleep and sleeping through the night was because of having been up later than usual.

ETA: Googled the indgredients and looks fine to me. Maybe try a smaller dose earlier next time?

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

Even homeopathic things can be destructive, in America they are unregulated and are sometimes mixed with very dangerous things for kids to have like aspirin.

This is not true. Homeopathics must meet FDA standards for ingredients and purity.

From: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/#ususe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does require that homeopathic remedies meet certain legal standards for strength, purity, and packaging. The labels on the remedies must include at least one major indication (i.e., medical problem to be treated), a list of ingredients, the dilution, and safety instructions. In addition, if a homeopathic remedy claims to treat a serious disease such as cancer, it needs to be sold by prescription. Only products for self-limiting conditions (minor health problems like a cold or headache that go away on their own) can be sold without a prescription.

[Ktietje85]

Originally Posted by MamaChicken

I use the adult calms forte with my three little ones and it works well too. I give them each a single dose and they just sleep more relaxed and calm. Worth it!

You all are giving me so much hope!!

I have a little boy who just turned 1 and has slept through the night (and by that, I mean 5 hours) maybe once or twice in his whole life. Most nights consist of him waking up 6 - 8 times. More recently he's started to sleep a 2 - 3 hour stretch from 10 - 1ish, then be awake a LOT for a few hours, then sleep okay again from 4 or 5 until 7 or so. But I don't get much sleep. We're co-sleeping and he's an active little boy. My husband wants him out of our room within the next few months because we're trying for #3 now (#1 never had these problems!!). I've come to the conclusion that he is a REALLY sensitive sleeper, everything wakens/bugs him. He is easily roused by soft voices, being slightly wet, slightly hungry, slight teething pain, too hot or cold, etc. etc. etc.

Maybe, just MAYBE if I try this, it will help him relax just enough to be able to sleep through the minor distractions and sleep in longer stretches. Even consistent 3 - 4 hour stretches would be GREAT right now.

For his issue would kids' Valerian be better or the Calms Forte??