Patient's question:
My ten-month-old baby has been having trouble sleeping at night recently. They toss and turn and grind their teeth. Last night, they kept pulling their own hair. During the day, they only sleep for one or two hours at most and fall asleep when it gets close to dark. If they don't sleep late at night, they wake up in the middle of the night! After 5:30 AM, they are completely awake and have started crying when they wake up! I don't know what's wrong, and it's driving me crazy. It's making my head ache every day!Doctor's answer:
The baby has been experiencing difficulty sleeping during the second half of the night, which may be related to a vitamin D deficiency, possibly due to insufficient sun exposure and a diet low in vitamin D-rich foods. It's not yet severe, so it can be managed. It's recommended to have a blood electrolyte test for a clear diagnosis. Drinking more water, avoiding cold exposure, consuming more vegetable and fruit juices, avoiding foods that cause stomach upset, getting more sun exposure, and taking oral vitamin AD drops and oral calcium gluconate can help treat the condition.