Many of my articles are borne out of whatever is going on in my life, and generally, because of my research, I have tips for you. In this post I am going to turn the tables on you, and give you a dilemma and ask for your creative tips!

My six-year-old daughter suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One of the hallmarks of this disorder is insomnia, often due to hyper-vigilance. It often takes my daughter two to three hours, on average, to fall asleep.

We’ve tried reading a story to her, but it only stimulates her, rather than settling her down. We’ve tried a brighter night light and giving her a flashlight to empower her. Both of these have helped some, but have not completely solved the issue. We’ve tried rubbing her back, but again, it serves as a stimulus rather than something calming. We’ve used aromatherapy to no avail.

It has been suggested that she sleep with us. I am not opposed to a family bed at all; I just don’t think it would work in her unique case for several reasons that I can’t disclose due to confidentiality issues.

So, where does that leave us? I’m not opposed to medication, but only as a last resort when it has been made clear to me that the situation cannot be resolved otherwise (and we are in weekly therapy) or that she is beginning to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. Since we homeschool, she generally is able to sleep in and be regulated by her own body clock (unless one of her noisy early bird brothers wakes her up!).

So now it’s your turn – what would you do in a situation such as this? What has worked and why? What hasn’t worked and why?

Also, feel free to leave your own “Dilemma of the Week” that might be used to gain reader feedback in a future column.

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