Lu is 3 years and 8 months old and we recently had the pleasure of helping her and parents, Katherine and Seagull, through our Sleep Support team.
It was a very difficult start to life for Lu. At just 6 weeks old she suffered a cardiac arrest and was without oxygen for 18 minutes! Lu was then on life-support for three days and this was an incredibly worrying time for her parents.
It was a huge relief when Lu began to recover. She was soon diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome, which is a relatively common heart condition that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for periods of time. In Lu’s case, though, her heart rate went up to 280bpm and this is what triggered the cardiac arrest.
Growing up, Lu started to develop learning difficulties, but this doesn’t stop her from doing the things she loves, like being outside – particularly by the sea or running around in the woods. Lu does, however, have problems sleeping at night and this also has an impact on Katherine and Seagull.
Lu wouldn’t get off to sleep at night and this was happening all the time. As Katherine told us, “night was just a different type of day“.
During one of Lu’s appointments with her paediatrician, it was recommended that Katherine get in touch with Cerebra and our Sleep team. Our sleep practitioners work with families across the country to help them to get the rest they desperately need.
When a child can’t get to sleep or is unsettled throughout the night, it can be incredibly distressing for them. Not only that, it also means the family aren’t getting the rest they need to function properly each day.
After Katherine reached out to us, Carwyn from our Sleep team got in touch to gain an understanding of the troubles Lu was having. The first thing he asked Katherine to do was to keep a sleep diary and try and keep more of a pre-bedtime routine. This included putting bedroom toys away, having dinner and then having a bath.
Lu soon started to feel a lot calmer and a lot more focused on going to sleep. Katherine tells us;
“We’ve definitely already seen some improvements. Lu is much happier and we’re all coping so much better. My partner and I used to dread bedtime, but Lu can actually sense that we’re now much happier and confident about it.”
The family had a bit of a recent scare, when Lu developed a high temperature and her heart rate increased to 160bpm. Lu was taken to hospital by ambulance and kept an eye on, but we’re so pleased that she soon returned home and is doing really well.
Of her experience of working with Carwyn from our Sleep team, Katherine adds;
“I never thought there was someone out there who would be able to help with sleep and it’s been great to receive professional, trusted help. Sleep is like currency… it’s that precious! Lu is getting more sleep and waking up less. Step-by-step, we’re getting there!”
