Question
My six year old daughter sleeps all the time. She goes to bed around 9pm and sleeps till 7am. Her teacher at school says she sleeps about 3 hrs a day there also. She sleeps anytime she is in a car, she takes a nap after school for about 2hrs and i have to physically make her get up. The doctor that i take her to said she is fine that she is growing normally and has normal physical activity and is to young for a sleep disorder test. I cant help but feel there is a better answer than that. Her teacher at school said she will fall asleep standing up, eating or just sitting still.
Answer
First of all you need to take her back to the doctor and have him run blood test for anemia, thyroid trouble or mono, as this is the easiest to diagnose with these tests. If they come back normal then you should have him refer you to a sleep center to have her sleep monitored for possibly narcolepsy, which usually starts affecting children around menstruation or puberty, but there are cases of it showing up at your childs age. She seems to have most of the symptoms especially the ones about the teacher noticing in school which is usually the case. Kudos to the teacher for bringing it to your attention. Many with narcolepsy, if that is what she has go undiagnosed and are just considered lazy, bored, or not interested. What they will do is have her stay overnight and monitor her sleep, the test is totally pain less they just attach electrodes to her head and have her sleep. If you go to sleepnet.com click on disorders narcolepsy you can read about it there, there is a pediatric section to. Also go to YAWN Young americans with narcolepsy, and lastly narcolepsy network. Please feel free to email again and please let me know what happens but first get the blood workup. Good luck, karel
