sick, can't sleep, give benadryl??

[Still_Learning]

I've never given my kids benadryl, but dd is so sick and can't sleep at all. she's waking every 10 minutes all night so getting zero sleep.

she's got a terribly runny nose, so i guess the congestion is bothering her. i have a humidifier in her room, am suctioning often...

do you give beadryl for this? i would think it'd be counterproductive to dry her out, but not sleeping isn't going to help her either.

So, what do you do?

[crunchy_mommy]

Usually when DS is like that (has only happened maybe twice) I sleep upright with him on my chest and tell him stories/songs to distract him from the discomfort. Somehow the position helps everything drip down and calms him, although I really don't get much sleep obviously but I'm used to not functioning lol!

So no, I don't give benadryl, we don't medicate at all (though we do give vitamins & homeopathics). But we don't even keep meds in the house so that's part of it... if you have it & feel comfortable giving it to her, this sounds like the time to use it! Hope she feels better...

ETA: Also a heating pad filled with rice helps too, and steam (bring her in the bathroom near the shower & run the water super hot right before bedtime).

[JBaxter]

benedryl is BAD here its like 12 cups of coffee

I use ( even though your not supposed to ) Childrens Motrin Cold. That stuff really dries the boys heads up. It has real sudafed in it and is sold behind the counter at the pharamcy. I dont use it often but when they cant sleep because of snot/congestion I do use it.

[Drummer's Wife]

I sometimes give my 5 yo Benadryl (or the generic equivalant), but it's b/c he has allergies and he needs it occasionally. The thing is, that it's hit or miss if it makes him drowsy or more hyper; so, I would just keep that in mind before you try it. Some kids always have a similar reaction, but others - like my DS - aren't consistent. Like, I wouldn't want to give it to mine right before he boarded a plane (and I mean, if he needed it for an allergic reaction), b/c that would be one of the times where it made him bounce off the walls!

[Drummer's Wife]

OH, and maybe you've tried this, but warm chamomile tea sometimes helps with restlesness and congestion. Hope your LO feels better soon and gets some decent sleep.

[kittykat2481]

I'll admit it - I've done it. DS has allergies and asthma, and when his allergies flare up, the asthma is usually right behind. I always crank up the humidifier, elevate the head of his bed, give him honey for his cough, and anything else I can think of, but if he's miserable with a runny nose or a cough and unable to sleep, I do give benadryl. Sleep is more important to his health (and mine) than just about anything else, and if he is well rested he always heals faster (and I have a better chance of staying healthy). I think it's totally worth it in some circumstances. In your situation, definitely.

[LCBMAX]

We absolutely did this last winter - a cough got so bad that even sitting upright on me in an actual steam shower didn't help. He couldn't nurse for all the coughing. I fretted for like an hour, making sure I didn't think it was croup (unsafe to use benedryl with croup) and then went for it and we got 3 blessed hours of scary solid unmoving sleep, followed by nursing, followed by normal restless sleep for the rest of the night. And the next day he started to get better. Without the sleep I don't think the healing would've kicked in for a few more days. But when I gave it I was totally prepared to be up with a wild all night monkey, cause I've sure seen that happen too.

[just_lily]

Benadryl makes my kid hyper too. When we gave her some we ended up staying up all night because she was crazy.

We gave it to her because I thought she was having a reaction to antibiotics. Turns out it was actually hand foot and mouth disease (she was on antibiotics because we thought she had strep throat - but it was all the HFM). I gave her Benadryl at 11pm and we didn't get any sleep that night.

[AKA_PI]

My son is 2 and has bad allergies, the doctor ok-d us for Children's liquid Claritin. When he has a runny nose or has been out in the grass, I normally give him half or a full teaspoon of it. It does make him sleepy but it dries everything right up and he gets some rest.

[Still_Learning]

Thanks everyone. I didn't give the benadryl and she slept much better last night. She woke her usual hourly waking instead of not really sleeping at all. Hopefully tonight will be the same

Poor thing is still feeling bad and her nose is pouring.

[foodymama]

My nephew is really sick with a cold right now and his ped. told my sister to give him Benedryl. I only gave DD Benedryl once for an allergic reaction but I'm not sure I would give it for a cold. I gave my sister a bunch of homeopathic stuff to try for him instead. You're not supposed to give little ones cough and cold medicine but if you go to your local health food store you can get homeopathic cough and cold items that are safe for toddlers to take.