Funny, I thought we'd gotten through all the hurdles and I'd probably never need to cry for help again - but here I am. My daughter has been wearing a Boston brace for 5 months. She did a magnificant job of working her way up to 23 hrs/day, and has been sleeping through the night with it just fine. But over the last few weeks that all seems to be crumbling.
She has some sensory issues anyway, and I've marveled that she's done so well - but actually I believe the pressure of the brace felt good to her. Lately tho she is complaining many times a day that she's itchy or hot. Mind you, we live in South Dakota and right now it's anywhere from 30 degrees to - 20 degrees! And our house is not exactly toasty - tho we try to keep it warm. Even when we go out in public, she often wears flip flops or ends up taking off her shoes and socks (like at church) because she's so hot.
She's a person who pretty much can't focus on more than one thing at a time, so once she's got her mind on the discomfort I just can't seem to redirect it. She is "constantly" begging me to let her take off the brace. A couple of times in the middle of the night I've just let her take it off because she was so miserable and wasn't sleeping (so I wasn't either). Now I feel like that was a huge mistake because she wants to do that every night. I barely get her settled in bed and she starts telling me either she's itchy, or hot or it's pinching. I feel like I'm being manipulated!
At the same time, I'm concerned and wondering if there's really something wrong. She's been "moaning" in her sleep every single night for the past couple of weeks. This is something she's done since she was little - but it's always meant she's cold. If I would go in and cover her, the moaning would stop. Now I wonder if it's because she's cold (she usually only has one light blanket on) or hot - or hurting!!! I keep hopping up and down in the night to cover, uncover, or if she's awake - she pleads with me to let her take it off! Neither of us is getting enough sleep - which makes us less able to deal with the issue.
She has some sensory issues anyway, and I've marveled that she's done so well - but actually I believe the pressure of the brace felt good to her. Lately tho she is complaining many times a day that she's itchy or hot. Mind you, we live in South Dakota and right now it's anywhere from 30 degrees to - 20 degrees! And our house is not exactly toasty - tho we try to keep it warm. Even when we go out in public, she often wears flip flops or ends up taking off her shoes and socks (like at church) because she's so hot.
She's a person who pretty much can't focus on more than one thing at a time, so once she's got her mind on the discomfort I just can't seem to redirect it. She is "constantly" begging me to let her take off the brace. A couple of times in the middle of the night I've just let her take it off because she was so miserable and wasn't sleeping (so I wasn't either). Now I feel like that was a huge mistake because she wants to do that every night. I barely get her settled in bed and she starts telling me either she's itchy, or hot or it's pinching. I feel like I'm being manipulated!
At the same time, I'm concerned and wondering if there's really something wrong. She's been "moaning" in her sleep every single night for the past couple of weeks. This is something she's done since she was little - but it's always meant she's cold. If I would go in and cover her, the moaning would stop. Now I wonder if it's because she's cold (she usually only has one light blanket on) or hot - or hurting!!! I keep hopping up and down in the night to cover, uncover, or if she's awake - she pleads with me to let her take it off! Neither of us is getting enough sleep - which makes us less able to deal with the issue.
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