Trust Your Instinct.
“It’s just a phase”
“Get her into a routine”
“Some kids sleep through the night, others don’t. You just have to get used to it”
These were just some of the phrases thrown my way when I was questioning why my daughter, at the age of 3, was still waking up regularly through the night.
All well meaning advice, but it did nothing to calm the knots of worry in my gut.
My instinct had kicked in big time and told me something wasn’t quite right.
It felt like a deep knowing within me – a pull on my gut and heart to listen to the feelings that were arising and to take action.
My daughter was suffering but it was only after we had our second child, and I saw how soundly he slept, that I finally gave in to my instinct and did some investigation.
I had heard of sleep apnoea affecting adults. I didn’t realise that it could affect babies and children too.
Symptoms in children include the following; snoring, dry mouth, a constant dribbling nose, greyish tinge on the skin, and a short attention span.
You see, my daughter had very large tonsils and, as it turns out, large adenoids (lumps of tissue located at the back of the nose).
It meant that when she tried to sleep, her airways were being blocked by her tonsils and adenoids.
My little girl couldn’t draw in the air that she desperately needed while she slept.
Hence, she was waking upwards of five times a night just to breathe, foregoing the deep sleep that was vital to her growth, health and development.
Take Action.
Deep continuous sleep is vital to us ALL.
It is during this stage of sleep that our bodies repair and restore cells and our ability to form memories is at its most potent.
Lack of the deep sleep stage can have serious consequences to our health.
I could already see how much it was affecting my daughter at such a young age.
She was waking up tired, finding it hard to concentrate on any one task at a time, and her appetite was barely there.
In a fit of desperation, and because I was so sleep deprived myself, I asked Mamta, a very experienced Reiki Master who specialises in working with mothers and babies, to send us both some Reiki after a particularly bad night.
Shortly afterwards, I came across posts from other mums on an online forum, describing the same symptoms as my daughter and mentioning sleep apnea.
It was the first time I had heard of it in children!
Huge waves of relief rolled through me as I realised that we weren’t alone and there was a solution.
Now it was time to take action. Instincts are pointless unless you act on them.
I took several videos of my daughter sleeping at night, kept a diary of her sleep patterns and symptoms, and booked in to see my General Practitioner (GP).
Upon seeing the evidence I had gathered, my GP referred me straight away to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department at our local hospital.
A tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were performed a few months later.
This picture was taken just after the operation.
That’s a nervous smile I’m wearing!
Within a week of the op, our girl was sleeping soundly through the night.
The colour had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were sparkly. Her attention span improved as well as her appetite.
Your Instinct Is Powerful.
I’m writing this because I want to emphasise how important it is to listen to your instinct.
It’s a powerful tool to help guide you.
The stronger the feeling, the more you need to pay attention.
I’m also writing this to draw awareness to sleep apneoa in children.
It’s heartbreaking to know that so many children are suffering or mid-diagnosed with attention deficit disorders, simply because they are not getting the deep quality sleep they need.
Please share this post if you think it could help someone.
Do you have a story to tell about your instinct? Leave a comment below.
With gratitude, love and Reiki 🙏🏽
Seena.
This Post Has 4 Comments
I was born in the days when babies weren’t kept at their mothers side, but in a creche where nursing staff could watch over them. When my father visited my mother she told him to go and look at me. He said that he’ll just have a few minutes with her first. She insisted. My father said there was no rush. My mother then went into the very edge of panic…My father, to pacate her, asked the (irish) nurse if he could go see me. Possibly noticing his Irish surname she replied that it wasn’t the usual way of doing things, but she’d wheel me into my mother’s bedside. As soon as the pram appeared, my mother leapt out of bed and flung back the blankets. I was covered in blood. My umbilical knot had come loose, and I was doing some serious dying.
Well, here I am. I pulled through.
and thank goodness for that! Mother’s instinct is one of the most powerful.
Hi Seena,
I share similar experience and like you followed my instinct. The GP didn’t take it seriously so I took her privately to see a ENT and in few weeks she was having the operation. Shortly after the surgery, her sleep improved massively. She was only over 1 year old, and the GP said it was normal for babies to snore, I didn’t agree and took action. Luckily we have always had medical private insurance.
Hi Fernanda, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so glad that you persevered with the GP and that your daughter’s sleep improved after surgery too.