Nights from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

Janey's sleep used to be one of the easier things with her. Lately, however, she has taken to getting tired about 6pm, and extremely cranky, and nothing we can do can really keep her from going to bed that early. Then she wakes, around 11 or 12, and is totally awake for hours. We are early to bed people, but not that early, and if we go to sleep about 9 or 10, we get about 2 hours of sleep before she's up. And she isn't just up, she's either crying her eyes out or laughing hysterically or singing at the top of her lungs or requesting things "I want ice cream" "I want chips" "I want carrots". Our house is way too small, and we just don't sleep. Last night was so terrible. She was up from 10 to about 2. I got more sleep than Tony, as I slept from about 2-7, but he went to sleep about 8 and got 2 hours then, then slept from 2-4 when he has to get up. I don't know how he drives an hour to work, and I don't know how I take care of Janey. I am like a zombie today. She on the other hand is perfectly happy. Luckily she is in a TV mood, or I would be unable to cope. But it will all start over, as she does need the normal amount of sleep. She will fall asleep in the car on the way to school, or fall asleep about 5 tonight, and it all starts over. I am at a loss about what to do. It is like torture to keep her awake when she wants to sleep, and when she wants to be awake, any wishes we have to the contrary are of no interest to her. I have such fears of Tony falling asleep at the wheel on 128.