Hi all,
I’m looking for advice or insight on my 8 (nearly 9)-year-old son’s sleep habits, especially in light of some serious health issues he experienced this past year.
Back in September, he became very unwell. I suspected scarlet fever due to the symptoms and rash, but the doctor initially dismissed it as a viral infection. My son is of mixed ethnicity (white and Asian), but I believe the doctors assessed him as white, and I wonder if they may have missed signs that present differently on darker skin. After nearly seven weeks of high fevers, extreme fatigue, and several doctor/hospital visits, the skin on his hands and body began peeling. At that point, the doctor confirmed what I’d suspected all along — it had been scarlet fever.
By then, he had already recovered on his own, so we declined antibiotics. He had heart and general health checks done, and everything came back fine. However, since that illness, he’s not been the same.
He now experiences:
- Frequent migraines
- Neck and back pain
- Lethargy and brain fog
- Stomach upset
- Emotional fluctuations
He was admitted to A&E at one point and had an MRI, CT scan, and full blood work — all normal. I have a family history of fibromyalgia, which I shared with the doctors. I myself started suffering with Fibro symptoms from the age of about 6 which is documented by the doctors.
In addition to this, he appears to be entering puberty early: he’s growing quickly, constantly hungry, and becoming more emotional. His sleep has changed drastically — he struggles to fall asleep before 10pm onwards (even with melatonin) and needs about 12 to 13 hours of sleep to feel okay.
We home educate, so we have flexibility with his routine, but my question is:
Should I let him sleep this long, or should I try to implement a stricter sleep schedule to help his body adjust?
I don’t want to interfere with his healing process or growth, but I also want to make sure I’m not enabling habits that could make things worse long-term.
Any thoughts, personal experiences, or medical insights would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks so much in advance.