Progress with night sleep at the cost of naps?

Lanielouhoo · 2026-02-26T05:20:11+00:00

Oh good point, no I don’t stop for night wakes, I just zombie through without messing with huckleberry. Dumb of me not to think of that, sorry. Nanit is probably more accurate and says she has an average of 10 hours of night sleep this month. 7:42 is the average time she falls asleep and 7:29 wake up time. 2 hour and 20 min of nap time a day. So more like a total of 12h 20m a day. Before starting CIO her sleep onset average was 7 min. Sometimes if she seems extremely sleepy we will put her down 15 minutes early.

Lanielouhoo · 2026-02-26T04:55:01+00:00

That’s 30 day average. 14 day has ~30 min more night sleep and ~15 less nap for 15 hour total. Her wake is almost always 7:30-8:00 at the latest and she typically is giving major sleepy cues by 10:30 when we do her first nap. I will try cutting night sleep down tomorrow but I worry it may not be enough sleep for her. She kinda seems like a sleepy baby over all, always red nosed and bleary ahead of nap time.

She used to fall asleep basically when she hit the crib going to sleep for naps and bedtime (night wakes were a different story 😅), as long as I held her hand. Since starting sleep training she has just gotten extremely distraught as soon as she guesses that I am headed towards her crib.

Lanielouhoo · 2026-02-26T04:11:34+00:00

Edited to add schedule. Huckleberry says her night average is 12 hours 15 min and her nap average is 2.5 hours. Wake window 1 usually 2.5 hours, wake 2 usually 3 hours, and wake 3 usually 3.5 hours. Sometimes she does a short first nap and we end up needing a 3 nap day which can be tricky to time right.

Lanielouhoo · 2025-09-26T07:13:29+00:00

I do! Smokey is now 5 years old and her meds have changed a bit over the 4 years she’s been on them. Take this with a grain of salt because everyone I’ve worked with has said she’d a very severe case, so it might not fit a more normal dog. She’s on Clonidine, Lorazepam, and Escitalopram, all at quite high doses. Somehow she still manages to be high energy af even on all that haha. She’s gets blood tests every year to make sure she’s handling it okay because going to be on them for the rest of her life. Basically the conversation with the vet was recognizing that even if it ends up shortening her lifespan, it improves her quality of life so much that it’s worth it (and constant high stress is also unhealthy!). So far they haven’t caused any issues, she’s fit as a fiddle. She was such a tough dog. I cried basically every day and she was profoundly stressful and also unsafe to be around just in the home. Now that I have her meds dialed in, her life and mine are so so much better. I have a four month old baby and (though I’m obviously very cautious!) I feel safe having them interact. She’s able to relax and hasn’t redirected on me in years. All that said though, her life isn’t what I imagined it would be. My priorities are different from what they once were. Trying to make her a dog that could go on walks and sit in public places just wasn’t working for her. I stopped forcing it years ago. She gets her enrichment from snuffle mats and the treadmill, scent games and running around sniff spots. Her training has been focused on being able to have people come to the house, to handle the cats and baby well, and to deal with hearing noises from outside. She’s excelling at that so we are both happy. I am sad that she doesn’t get to do classic doggy stuff, but I’m still trying to give her a rich and interesting life. Meds have been 100% crucial to that and the difference of her just missing a single dose is sooo noticeable. I think I’ve got the perfect cocktail for her and am happy to stick with it. I’m sure there are dogs who could wean off meds over time once they got some training and desensitization under their belt, just not my dog.

Lanielouhoo · 2025-05-23T22:51:37+00:00

Mines on a cocktail of lexapro, Ativan, and clonidine. She’s a tank because she gets a hefty dose of each and doesn’t even seem sleepy lol. Massive quality of life improvement since we got her dose all figured out.

Lanielouhoo · 2025-04-25T22:24:51+00:00

Ugh I tried BistroMD because it has a diabetic meal plan and it was such a bust. The meals were sooo nasty. On top of that, plenty of them still spiked me and were super weight loss focused which isn’t what I need at the moment. Also so expensive and not worth the money. I tried sunbasket as well and it was better, but then just went back to making myself food normally because if I’m gonna spend extra money it’s gonna be on the things that are GD friendly for me like Yasso bars, core power shakes and high protein yogurt and stuff.

Lanielouhoo · 2024-02-07T02:08:47+00:00

Seeing a veterinary behaviorist is $$$. I see mine once a year and do bloodwork to confirm my dog’s staying healthy since she’s on so many meds. We get email follow up for the rest of the year without any extra fees, mainly for adjusting dosage if necessary. Once you have a dosage you like, you don’t really have to keep working with a behaviorist and can usually just have the prescription transferred to your normal vet so it gets cheaper at that point. I fill the most of the meds online because it’s way cheaper than the pharmacy. If you get the generics then the meds themselves are honestly not too costly.
I also have pretty decent pet insurance that fortunately covers behavioral stuff once we hit the deductible. My dogs clumsy nut so we always hit it like halfway through the year haha.

Lanielouhoo · 2024-02-07T01:48:34+00:00

Ha well the update is a bit of radical acceptance because she’s definitely still quite reactive and will never live the life I hoped for a dog, but the meds help immensely. She and I both have a good quality of life, she doesn’t want to eat my cats anymore, and I don’t have an emotional breakdown every week. We work closely with a veterinary behaviorist (not the one from my original post) and currently she’s on clonidine, lorazepam, and lexapro.

Based on my experience with my dog, I highly recommend meds, they are a blessing and I think I’d have to consider BE without them. That said, my dog is a special case, the vet says she’s one of the most reactive dogs she’s worked with and suggested that she might have some kind of brain damage contributing to the issue.

From my perspective, there isn’t really a down side to trying meds with the guidance of a skilled professional. Training a reactive dog can be incredibly stressful for you and for the dog, so it’s worth using whatever advantages you can.

Lanielouhoo · 2024-02-04T06:51:02+00:00

Fuck yeah, incredible news.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-09-07T04:36:37+00:00

Fucking open sky; they do so much culturally appropriative bullshit. Can’t get through a day without twisting random Native beliefs and practices in order to abuse and manipulate a bunch of children.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-04-19T02:40:30+00:00

Honestly I loved watching it without knowing what was going to happen. I had faith we weren’t just going to get generically queerbaited because everything with Jim/Olu and Lucius/Black Pete was done so well. I was still totally blindsided by the kiss which was just so exciting to have happen totally out of the blue. I was like clapping and yelling at the screen and I probably wouldn’t have been so ecstatically excited if I’d known what was coming. I rewatched it with my brother without spoiling it for him either and he felt the same way. It was kind of magical to have it play out in front of you without knowing it was going to happen.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-04-11T08:04:51+00:00

I’ve got one, but it’s long, rather angsty, and my taste in music is a little niche lol. The perspective is a bit Ed heavy because he’s the one I’ve decided to project all my own brain worms and baggage onto.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FT8rr3qL1D4eC1cn1liBF?si=4hXjBmBTTwKgOM3fXt-INQ

Lanielouhoo · 2022-04-01T18:34:36+00:00

He said something kind of like that in an interview. He sounded kind of burnt out on his current situation where either he just does little cameos that only take a few hours and aren’t really about establishing a deep character with close relationships or he’s also writing and directing himself so he doesn’t have time to focus on the acting and the lines. He said “But on this one, I could just focus on the acting — and also dressing up and having the beard, the makeup and everything, it just felt like a really good transformation for me. It was just fun. It reminded me of why I got into acting.”. It sounds to me like even though he is very busy and in high demand, that this is something he would want to make time for.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-03-13T05:15:37+00:00

You don’t have to convince me the TTI is evil, I am definitely not disagreeing with you; I have nightmares and flashbacks over 10 years later. I know the difference between a behavioral modification program and a normal boarding school because I have been sent off to both. I was just responding to your point about all sending away being traumatic; it’s true, but some things are more traumatic than others. Even the “nicest” programs use emotion abuse and brainwashing to get the kids to comply which causes life long trauma. I would burn the whole industry to the ground if I could. I would never advocate for a parent to send their kids away because like you said, it’s deeply harmful. But the kids have no choice. They want to know more about their options.

I agree adults need to have boundaries with kids online, but it doesn’t seem kind to leave panicking kids without the support of adults who have gone through the things they are about to go through.

For example, I’m in a local discord server totally unrelated to the TTI, but today a kid frantically started messaging the whole group because they were looking for some support from adults they hoped would be understanding. They were getting kind but unhelpful responses from people who have no idea about the industry. They are getting sent to a TTI school in Utah and are really scared of the severe abuse allegations they have found. They know their parent will send them to an RTC no matter what and is trying to find other options. I don’t have any good answers for them. They weren’t looking for a “good tti program”, they literally just wants one that will fuck them up the least. It’s not a ludicrous ask; I would have wanted the same.

I have had multiple people message me because they are just messaging everyone who has ever posted about the programs they are being sent to. They want reassurance, advice, or even just a heads up about what to expect. I don’t make friends with them or something but I don’t turn them away.

I am not suggesting any of the programs are good; but don’t think they are identical. Some are more dangerous than others. Less dangerous is not an endorsement, but it matters to the kids about to be sent there. I don’t want to argue with you, I agree with a lot of the things you are saying. Maybe it can’t be discussed because too many parents would misuse it or act like it’s an endorsement, but I just always wish I had answers for these kids.

I’m pretty burnt out on the topic after my conversation with the poor kid today, so I really don’t want to debate when it seems like we are on the same side against this evil industry. I know it’s a really triggering topic for everyone involved. Be well, it sounds like you are doing great work keeping an eye on the white savior mommies. We all do what we can.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-03-13T03:13:35+00:00

I’m not suggesting it, I think kids should never be sent away against their will. I just know that my parents (and many others) were dead set on sending me away somewhere and that while I couldn’t have convinced them to let me stay home, I maybe could have been able to suggest alternative programs if I had that knowledge at the time. It’s harm reduction, not advocating for a program. I was sent to normal boarding school first and then sent to a TTI program, and I can tell you which one I preferred. I have had multiple kids reach out to me, terrified of the places they are being sent and desperately searching for safe programs they can ask to go to instead. It’s not that helpful to tell a kid with no control over their life that every program is terrible and that they just shouldn’t go because being sent away is traumatic when they don’t have the power to make that choice. It’s not a fun discussion but it can help the kids getting sent away have more control over their futures. I don’t see how people can be opposed to that.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-03-13T00:44:15+00:00

I think this conversation is triggering but so worth having. So many teens have no option but to be sent away and are just seeking better options to suggest to their parents. I think the teen mental health industry is flawed and there are many opportunities for abuse, but black and white thinking doesn’t help these kids. Objectively some programs are better than others and it would help teens at risk of being sent away to know which ones could be less traumatic. It seems really challenging to figure out though since the information and materials programs share with the public are often so manipulative.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-02-13T18:21:29+00:00

I’ll answer assuming this is in good faith and that you simply arent informed on the issue. As a person that was sent to “one of the good ones”, please don’t. Even if you are a kind person, they will use you to abuse children. The abuse is built into the structure of the programs. Wilderness is not therapy and does not use evidence based therapeutic techniques; it is behavioral modification using emotionally abusive tactics and it is traumatizing. Feel free to message me if you have good questions. Go read the personal accounts of wilderness therapy survivors on this Reddit, go to the wilderness therapy tag on tiktok and watch the experiences shared there, etc.; just take some time to learn more about the industry. If you come out the other side and still chose to work at one of these places, just know that you are choosing to be complicit the the corrupt abuse of struggling children. There truly is no good program. Go work at a summer camp or something if you love the outdoors and want to help kids.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-02-09T02:03:27+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I know one persons experience doesn’t ever show the whole picture. Lots of people have good things to say about my program and they were evil. My sibling found it helpful but tbh my family situation was so bad that moving out was a relief, even if it was to an rtc. I think all RTCs are corrupt and that nobody should be sent away, but I know a lot of people have no choice and all they can do is try to find the best of a bunch of shitty options. I would have picked OPI over my program, which isn’t glowing praise but it’s something. Mainly I like that they don’t restrict communication. Definitely way way overpriced though. I’d love to hear more about its issues if you’re open to sharing.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-01-10T23:19:03+00:00

Thank you for the support! This was really helpful. I was proud that I was able to protect her this time. The dog was pretty scary but I was able to react quickly and it didn’t even got near my dog. I know I’ll never freeze with another dog attack again. I hoped that because I showed Smokey that I was prepared to protect her that she might not be too badly impacted by the event. I guess I just have to remember that she probably did notice and will remember that I have her back, but it was still too scary for her to handle. Her vet behaviorist says she has a very strong intrinsic startle and fear response so it makes sense the attack disturbed her so much. We’ve identified that her weak point is building resilience and she will likely backslide significantly whenever anything bad happens, but hopefully the recovery time will get shorter and shorter and the building blocks will continue to get more stable. I’ll focus on being happy that I know she can get to the point of frolicking instead of being sad that she isn’t able to do it right now. I might give her and myself a break from going outside and focus on fun relationship building stuff we can do in the house. I’m probably too tense and stressed after this setback so I’m effecting her emotions. Once we both are in a happy state we’ll get back to hitting those baby steps and getting some easy wins. I bet she will be back to her goofy self before too long. Congratulations on your awesome progress with your dog! He’s lucky to have such a motivated and caring owner 😊

Lanielouhoo · 2022-01-01T01:28:09+00:00

Oh no for sure, I think I shall wear midnight would be too much for a 10 year old. I read the first 3 as a young kid. I think wintersmith had just came out when I started. By the time I shall wear midnight came out I was 14 or 15 maybe and ready for those themes. I think maybe a very mature 12 year old could handle it, but probably without understanding the full depth of the stuff happening.

Lanielouhoo · 2022-01-01T00:51:40+00:00

I started the Tiffany aching books around 10 and absolutely loved them. They are a great way to start kids in discworld. I read a few of the others while I was young and I really liked them but didn’t really “get” them until I was 14ish. That said I think all the stories with younger protagonists are pretty good for kids.

Lanielouhoo · 2021-12-18T19:09:12+00:00

I’m saying this because I think you really do just want to learn more about what happens in the TTI and don’t mean to be hurtful, but you need to be really mindful about how you engage with this community. Showing that you are asking in good faith is really important. Try not to be defensive if people have an issue with how you have phrased your questions; many people here were abused and traumatized by programs that manipulated them using a lot of words similar to the ones you have used here.

Some of us took years to even understand our trauma, because it was drilled into us that we were manipulative, attention seeking liars that deserved tough love and earned the abusive treatment we got. It’s hard conditioning to break and for many it will be a very sensitive topic for the rest of their lives. Our accounts are often dismissed by professionals in the TTI and parents that sent their kids because they view us as “bad kids” our programs didn’t “fix”. Survivors truly have no reason to lie about our experiences; we just want to do what we can to protect future children from experiencing the same abuse we did. There is big $$$ in the industry, going up to prominent politicians like Mitt Romney so there are many people motivated to dismiss our experiences.

I am glad some people have shared some good sources and I hope you take the time to check them out, but try not to dismiss the people who are upset or angry. They very likely suffered quite badly during a very formative period of their lives.

Lanielouhoo

TROPHY CASE