7.5 yo ds cannot get to sleep...what have you done to help your night owl?

[grothmama]

I would not post this if it weren't a real worry for me. My sweet boy has too much of his mama in him. He has a theory that he wants to test for science fair next year---brown-eyed people [he and I] can't get to sleep like blue-eyed people [dh and younger brothers, who all fall asleep easily].

 

We have tried rigid rituals, fluid rituals, no rituals, books with pictures, books with no pictures, dad reading, mom reading, ds reading himself. He can hit the sack at nine after a short bath, Dad read for 10 min [little brother 4yo falls asleep now], ds reads for 10 min.....then we check on him at 11 or 12 and he still hasn't fallen asleep. As per dh orders, I wake him up at 8 everyday [don't let him sleep in---even though I want him too!]

 

His behavior is declining rapidly, for us as well as others [sunday School teacher said he "imploded" during class]. He's only averaging about 7-9 hours per night as opposed to the 11 or so he "should" get. When he does get to sleep, he sleeps DEEPLY.

 

He is a bit GT, so I know he has trouble slowing his brain down. He also is not very physical. Going outside to play usually includes taking a book with him. Any ideas? Will this be outgrown? Please help if you have a minute!

[Claire]

Try doing an advanced search on melatonin. Some people are deficient in it and, when this is the case, giving melatonin can make a huge difference. However, dosage is critical. People who take too much melatonin can get very vivid nightmares.

 

Here is one thread on melatonin. Here is the search list for threads on melatonin.

[Chris in VA]

Just an idea or two--

Make sure he's warm enough during the beginning of the night, but make sure also that the temp is lower after he goes to sleep.

 

Make sure he's getting enough sunlight to make enough serotonin.

 

Get outside with him, and start a walking or jogging program with him.

 

There's a fine balance between being tired and being overtired.

 

To help him turn off his brain and sleep, no reading at night. No screens for two hours before bed. Carbs and milk before bed (high tryptophan).

 

You've probably tried everything I suggest.

[KS_]

Try doing an advanced search on melatonin. Some people are deficient in it and, when this is the case, giving melatonin can make a huge difference. However, dosage is critical. People who take too much melatonin can get very vivid nightmares.

 

 

 

We had to start giving our ds melatonin - he just could not wind down at night and would often still be awake after 11pm (maybe later, but I was long asleep by then and didn't know. . .) Then he'd be cranky and grumpy at having to be woken up the next morning for school.

 

I found a mint flavored chewable that's 500mcg and it seems to work very well for him and he hasn't had any nightmares from it. I think he's been taking them for about a year and he just turned 9.

[5kidsforME]

I would not post this if it weren't a real worry for me. My sweet boy has too much of his mama in him. He has a theory that he wants to test for science fair next year---brown-eyed people [he and I] can't get to sleep like blue-eyed people [dh and younger brothers, who all fall asleep easily].

 

We have tried rigid rituals, fluid rituals, no rituals, books with pictures, books with no pictures, dad reading, mom reading, ds reading himself. He can hit the sack at nine after a short bath, Dad read for 10 min [little brother 4yo falls asleep now], ds reads for 10 min.....then we check on him at 11 or 12 and he still hasn't fallen asleep. As per dh orders, I wake him up at 8 everyday [don't let him sleep in---even though I want him too!]

 

His behavior is declining rapidly, for us as well as others [sunday School teacher said he "imploded" during class]. He's only averaging about 7-9 hours per night as opposed to the 11 or so he "should" get. When he does get to sleep, he sleeps DEEPLY.

 

He is a bit GT, so I know he has trouble slowing his brain down. He also is not very physical. Going outside to play usually includes taking a book with him. Any ideas? Will this be outgrown? Please help if you have a minute!

 

Well I am blue eyed and Ds (almost 9) has hazel eyes. Both of us have a very hard time getting to sleep. I let ds stay up and first have him do a chore then he can play quietly or read a book. Then I send him to bed and he has always gone right to sleep.

[Robin Hood]

My dd has a hard time and here are some things we recently tried that have helped.

 

We moved bed next next to the wall.

Some kids need Pressure to fall asleep. Our dd is that way so she frequently was crawling into bed

with us. It has only been recently that I figured out that it is the pressure she seeks. If I lie next to

her when I put her down, she falls asleep more rapidly.

 

We put her favorite larger stuffed animals on bed with her.

Again, more added pressure. You could use anything; ie, long pillow against wall.

 

We made a discovery that the noise of a fan will dull her senses. Nightly fan turned on drowns out the noises that stimulate her imagination. (I truely believe she will be an engineer from her ideas.) A rain CD did not work.

 

We allow her to listen to her radio turned down low. Again, diverts her imagination to something that lulls her to sleep.

 

Sometimes I will give her a back massage and we have nice talks at that time. I told her if she prays, that that is relaxing and can help her fall asleep, or count sheep (she did it once and it worked), or any other old time remedy.

 

She still doesn't sleep like most little kids whose interior clocks tell them it's time to go to sleep, but at least it's working better than before and she is taking more responsibility for it. Dd is also gifted and has behavioral dilemas.

 

My main objective is to give her tools to calm herself.

[grothmama]

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[klmama]

1. Exercise outside in the morning. It wakes up the body, plus the sunshine gets the brain acclimated to it being daytime early.

 

2. Same bedtime every day. Here, it's 8:30 for the dc, and most nights they are asleep by 9:00. Even when they have trouble getting to sleep, they are usually asleep by 10:00.

 

3. Get up early (except when sick and needing extra rest). My dc are up by 7:00 daily, outside in the sunshine by 8:00.

 

4. Take a calcium/magnesium supplement at bedtime. It helps relax the body for sleep. If your family gets enough of those through the diet, a banana at bedtime is good.

 

5. Melatonin, if necessary. If we get enough exercise and sunshine early in the day, it usually isn't needed. If we don't, and we can't sleep, melatonin helps. Our ped. recommended 1-3 mg. for kids, with less being better, if it works.

[grothmama]

Thank you, everyone. It's so helpful to hear your tips! I will research melatonin and become more diligent about exercise.

[Once]

Have you tried calcium and magnesium at supper or bedtime. There is a really tasty blend that mixes up like lemonade....It is called Cal-Mag Fizz by Solutions. I read at some point that alot of kids are short on these two minerals.

 

Perhaps a little honey and milk.

 

I try to get dd some quiet time before I expect her to actually sleep. Some music can help or reading.

 

Decent amount of outside play and exercise.