Daughter can't fall asleep

smile

Wed, Aug 10 2011, 7:02 pm

My 8 year old daughter has such a hard time falling asleep. She goes a reasonable time to bed around 19-19.30 h. But every night she is in bed trying to fall asleep with no success. It is a normal occurrence for her to only fall asleep after 1 in the morning.
She needs her sleep and is tired the next day.
I do not like to start giving her sleeping pills or tablets to relax. Those are to dangerous and she could get used to them.

Anyone has any advice on what I can do or give her? Any food or drink which could calm her or make her more sleepy?
Any help would be appreciated.

newmommy1

Wed, Aug 10 2011, 7:30 pm

Maybe that's a bit too early for her bedtime? What if you pushed her bedtime back by about 30-60 min?
I would suggest that she not have sugar and caffeine before bed. Maybe having some decaf chamomile tea would help?
What about if you practiced deep breathing and/or visualizations with her when you tucked her in? What about playing a CD with relaxing sounds?
Lastly, is there some issue bothering her, ie, at school/camp, with friends, family?
B'hatzlacha

ChaniH

Wed, Aug 10 2011, 7:51 pm

smile wrote:

this may sound a little old fashion but it seems to work, try some worm milk also have her loose some energy like an hour b4 bed time run around with her do jumping jax ( then sh'ell have an hour to calm down with some worm milk it should help

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Aug 10 2011, 11:27 pm

Some say no looking at computer screens - even small ones like a blackberry - for an hour, or even an hour and a half, before bed. The bright screen stimulates the body's clock and prevents sleep.

You might have thick, room darkening curtains in her room, also.

Eating food too close to bedtime will also keep somebody up. But drinking warm milk, that's good.

Some people like a white noise machine.

alte mamme

Thu, Aug 11 2011, 12:00 am

I would vote for letting her stay up later doing quiet activities like reading or coloring. I think it compounds the problem when they have to stay in bed if they really can't sleep. Or better yet, let her have a little one on one time with Mommy after the other kids have gone to bed (if that is possible in your household). If there is something on her mind that might be interfering with her sleep, then maybe she will clue you in to it if you have some private time together. And even if she doesn't, it's still a special treat to have a quiet conversation with Mommy in the evening. Yes, it interferes with getting things done at night, but I find those are the most precious moments.
When my kids can't sleep, I have the most success helping them go back to sleep when I let them get up for a little while to read on the couch and then have a snack. One child always has cheerios with milk for her snack when she can't sleep. And then she goes right back to bed. I think the ritual of it helps her.

I have a friend with an 8 year old, and my friend seems to have given up on getting her child to bed at a reasonable hour. She just can't go to sleep as early as she used to. Maybe it's just an age when the sleeping patterns change.

smile

Thu, Oct 27 2011, 9:39 pm

Its not always the falling asleep which is the problem. Sometimes she can fall asleep but wakes up 3 or 4 hours later and can't fall back asleep till 3 or 4 in the morning.
I do let her watch some DVD before sleeping, which I might stop now to see if it will help her or make a different.
For example tonight, she fell asleep straight away because last night she was up for hours again. Now it is after 2 am and she is still up (after waking up at 11 pm from a short sleep). I gave her warm milk or chamomile tea and she still can't fall back asleep again.

I am really desperate, she is only 8 and needs proper sleep. I also can't sleep if I know she is up and struggling with it.

P.S: I read somewhere to boil some water put in shredded onion for 5 min. When cooled down take a few teaspoon of this water add a few drops of honey and give to the child. Should help in children. Anyone heard or tried this already.

naomi2

Sat, Oct 29 2011, 9:25 pm

ask your dr about giving her melatonin.
also see if it might be a sensory issue. that her body is physically tense/active when her mind is tired. try massaging her body (arms legs and back) deeply before she goes to sleep or putting her body under a heavy mattress with/without you on top. (let her head stick out, of course) if she likes the feeling of these things it may help her calm down. if she doesn't, it means that is not the solution to the problem.
can the temperature in the room be a factor? sometimes when I am too cold or too hot I will not have a restful night
good luck!

bandcm

Sat, Oct 29 2011, 9:30 pm

Here where I live there is an old folk remedy for sleeplessness in children - Maracuja pulp. It's a tropical fruit which is extremely similar to passion fruit. Give her one or two before she brushes her teeth, or even better, if you have passion fruit juice, let her have some before bed. It really makes kids sleepy!

Leah-Ita

Sat, Oct 29 2011, 11:08 pm

I have a daughter who has been taking melatonin to help her sleep. It otherwise takes her no less than 2 hours to fall asleep and usually closer to 3. The melatonin is not a drug so there are no addictions or side effects, it either works or doesn't, based on the chemistry. We were very skeptical at first, but now we are thrilled to have found it. Of course, only with doctors permission when they are young. A friend of mine gave her 7 yr old with sleep issues and it helped them. Not as an easy fix, btw, but for extreme cases. My daughter otherwise thinks too much about the next day and this tends to keep her up. Good luck with all of it.