What are the thoughts on giving kids sleeping pills? My 2 stepsons have shared with me that they are given seeping pills by their mom. When asked how often they take them the youngest,13, said about 5 times a week. The oldest,16, has also in passing conversation said that when he cant sleep his mom gives him one of her sleeping pills. The mom is going to school to be a physicians assistant so I have no reason to believe that she doesnt know what she is doing. It just seems wrong. Neither of the boys have problems sleeping while they are at our house. I was hoping some thoughts from you ladies would be helpful, I dont really have much expierence with prescription pills or any sleeping aids. I have heard that there are some that are not habit forming but still...should I be concerned?
I had a talk with the 13 year old about them and low and behold the next weekend he came over and told me his mom didnt like giving them to him and she bought him some relaxation cds to listen to at night instead.
Giving them slipping pills at this age is wrong. Medications have serious side effects. Try Xango. www.makebigdreamshappen.com
D. B
____@____.com
First: If you have a good working relationship with the mom, talk with her to find out what she is giving them and why. If not, your husband should talk with her.
Second: I would be concerned enough to find out what she is giving them and why from her viewpoint. But I wouldn't assume anything. Approach her with an open mind.
Third: I'd talk with the boys about taking the pills and sleeping. If the pills are prescription tell them of the warnings about takaing someone elses prescription and how it may affect their bodies. They are old enough to manage their own sleeping. Their father needs to be involved in this talk.
There are several non-prescription sleep aides out there and not all of them are bad. There are a couple of herbal meds that are recommended by naturopaths that are helpful. My own GP suggested them. Not because they make you go to sleep but because they help to calm you down and relax. One is Valerian. (can't remember the second one) They don't work for me but I've been told by others that they help them.
Another form of a sleep aide is antihistamines.
I don't think that they're habit forming. They do make you sleepy. They are the incredient in cold pills that make you sleepy. My granddaughter who has asthma takes one that was prescribed by her doctor that are now available over the counter. (Zyrtec) If the boys have allergies, taking an antihistamine is reasonable.
Again, they're not habit forming.
Some people may become habituated to these. A great part of dependence on some pills is related to the person's way of thinking. If they think they can't get to sleep without them then they will continue to take them.
You don't know the whole story, yet. Ask some questions in a non-threatening way. If you are still concerned about the pills, talk with your pharmacist. Rely on expert opinion.
My mom got my little sister addicted to the things. My mom would take them becuase she i guess couldnt sleep...ever...and then my 17 year old sister started complaining of insomnia. They would buy costco size bottles of the stuff. I was so appaulled when i heard about it. No sixteen year old should have that much trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is my opinion. If they are maybe there is a deeper issue. Like maybe they are getting bully at school an that is causing the problem. I just cant believe that they would need them. I told my mom that it was becoming a problem and she did nothing my little sister still takes them just about every night and i can garuntee that if she tried she would have a hell of a time getting off of them. Have you ever taken onE? They almost make you feel high. So i am surprised that a mom who is going to school to be a physicians asst. would willingly give her own kids the pills. Is she doing it so she has more time to spend studying? There are alot of questions i would ask as a parent. What does your Hub think about it? Sorry to have sort of gone off on a tangent I just feel very strongly that kids that age have no business taking pills like that.
The pills themselves are NON habit forming sometimes, but the effect they have on sleep is addicting. If you take them for to long your body won't know how to fall asleep on it's own without the meds. I was on them for a while but never took them on a regular basis for fear of addiction. I absolutely would be worried. For one thing it truely is against the law to give someone else "your" perscription medication. If she's a PA then she's going to have access to lots of different meds what else is she going to give them. I would have your husband try to talk to her about that.
W.
I don't know about this one. I think it might vary from child to child. I am a mom in my mid 40s. When I was in the eighth grade, my own mother began giving me sleeping pills, which helped me profoundly at that time. I can see where that would not be the right answer for the two children in this case or for other children. But for me, my mom definitely did the right thing.
WOW! I am a nurse and I know that you can loose your license for this. She should know this if she is going to school to be a PA. It is against the law to give someone your meds and they are minors on top of it. I would tell her to stop this. If the kids really are having trouble sleeping a doctor should be involved she cant hand this out like candy. Teenagers should not have trouble sleeping they usually sleep tons. Not only is she giving unperscribed serious medication to her children, she is practicing medicine without a license. This is not ok in so many ways.
She does not know what she is doing!
L.
Hi K.,
I absolutely agree with everyone that what those kids' mother is doing is wrong, wrong, WRONG!!! And, like they also said, just because she's "studying," doesn't mean she knows what she's doing. In fact, I think she's being unethical as a parent, "healer," morally, and legally.
I think you're right to be concerned.
Hi. I have partial custody of my 3 and a half yr old boy.is it against the law to give toddlers sleeping pills every night. my boy came over today and saide the pills that his mom is giving him makes his tummy hurt.i couldnt believe what i was hearing.and everytime i get him he doesnt eat but a couple of bites hardley anything the whole time he is with me. the mother gives all 3 of her kids pills every night. after this weekend im taking him to the clinic to have blood work done and see what the next step is. whats your thoughts. e-mail me at ____@____.com is it legal? TY
Hi:)
I am by far no expert,but I totally think that that would be the WRONG thing to do for children!!They don't need pills to sleep for crying out loud....they need structure and a decent sleeping/waking cycle implemented by ALL parents concerned.What a cop out on her part.
I would totally confront her on this.
My advice is this is absolutely NOT Ok. If she is studying in this field she should know better than to just give them one of her drugs. Their are major problems I see with this. I would contact a pharmacist and ask their opionion. My husband worked in a pharmacy for three years and there are so many people addicted to sleeping pills and it can be dangerous as any drug. If they are having such sleep issues one would think they would be taking them do the DR. I hope you find some really good answers soon. I also wonder if she has an addiction to them? Please be careful. That could be serious
