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View Full Version : advice on sleep problems for 7 year old?



Bluebell
28-09-2012, 10:46 AM
My 7 year old can never get to sleep - he has too much going on his head! He always talks about aliens, spaceships, adventures, adn all the stuff he learns at school. It has only really become a problem again since he has been back at school. He goes to bed at 7 and we have extended lights out until 8 as thats what they were doing in the holidays and it seemed to work better with them having a bit of chill time before lights out.

However, since being back to school he can't switch off and I went to bed at 10 10.30 last night and he was still awake. He was eventually lying quiet but just not asleep as I could hear him fidgeting and coughing a bit.

How can I get him back into a good sleep pattern? waking him up you can tell he's exhasuted but bless him within minutes he is up and raring to go and talking at hundred miles an hour!

I worry that he will be too tired to concentrate in school but mainly that he gets such an emotional wreck - we had tears this morning because it was fancy dress and he was worrying about his costume and decided he didn't want to go. He gets really distraught when he is like this but as usual once he was at school he was absolutely fine so I don't think there is anything at school bothering him.

Has anyone experince of this or could offer advice please?

Mouse
28-09-2012, 10:56 AM
My advice would be to have a wind down time half an hour before bedtime.

Turn off the TV, computer, gameboy etc and do something quiet together. It could be a jigsaw, some colouring etc. Make sure it's something peaceful, so not a game or anything that could get him excited.

In his room you could try playing some relaxing music, or putting on a relaxation CD, such as this one:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/i-can-relax!-relaxation-cd/id415666722

Also, get some gentle lighting in his room - a fibre optic light or a lava lamp. This is a nice one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UFO-SPACESHIP-ROTATING-FIBRE-OPTIC-COLOUR-CHANGING-LAMP-/120769222365

JCrakers
28-09-2012, 11:03 AM
Have you tried remedies that you put on pillow. Lavender is supposed to be relaxing but there's other stuff out there.

I agree with no tv, games etc but it might be worth getting rid of books at bedtime to as these stimulate activity and imagination too. Soothing music is good.

I must be hard,my own two children have been very good sleepers from 5-6 weeks old. But I can sympathise with anyone who has problems at bedtime. :(

Bluebell
28-09-2012, 11:35 AM
ah thank you - the cd and lights are a fab idea. He has a night light as he is scared of the dark so these lamps might be great. I also did get him some story cds so he had to lie still and quiet to listen and that his head is not invaded by lots of thoughts (I switch off by reading) We did try a little lavender pillow but I'm not sure how affective that was or where it went! - maybe we can get some other sleep remedy - will have to look into that definitely.
Seem to be spending money like water at the moment, car tax, repairs on car, christmas pressies, filled the car up wth petrol, new double pushchair, craft supplies - it just goes on and on!

Thank you both for your advice though will go look on ebay for lamps now!

Mouse
28-09-2012, 11:45 AM
ah thank you - the cd and lights are a fab idea. He has a night light as he is scared of the dark so these lamps might be great. I also did get him some story cds so he had to lie still and quiet to listen and that his head is not invaded by lots of thoughts (I switch off by reading) We did try a little lavender pillow but I'm not sure how affective that was or where it went! - maybe we can get some other sleep remedy - will have to look into that definitely.
Seem to be spending money like water at the moment, car tax, repairs on car, christmas pressies, filled the car up wth petrol, new double pushchair, craft supplies - it just goes on and on!

Thank you both for your advice though will go look on ebay for lamps now!

If you're on Facebook see if there are any local selling pages. There are lots local to us & I picked up a lovely lava lamp for £2. We also have free pages where people are giving things away. It might be worth asking there as lava lamps and fibre optic lamps are the sort of thing people have tucked away in the back of the cupboard.
Or try Netmums local pages or your local Freecycle group.

Tealady
28-09-2012, 12:02 PM
My DD is exactly the same. I posted on here a few weeks ago as I wondered if her bed time was to early. She is worse on Mondays as I think she is looking forward to the exciting things she knows are coming up at school during the week.

We have done this (it helps but she still has the odd bad night)

She goes up to bed at 7:15, has a story and then lights out at 7.30. However if she is really wired then she reads/looks at mags for 10mins then strictly lights out (with a night light as she is afraid of the dark and doesn't like her door open so no lightfrom the landing). She was reading for longer or playing with her cuddlies and I think that was keeping her going rather than helping.

Computer is banned after 6pm, only calm programmes on TV or calm activities allowed. Lavender in the bath or shower. She has a milky drink (always has since a baby). No snacks, unless she is starving then it's just a slice of buttered toast. She would have a biscuit but we wondered it the sugar was a problem.

She also has a few drops of Bach Remedy Night. The packet says it helps your mind switch off. Seems to help but don't know if that's placebo effect, so when they run out we will fill with sugar water as that's what they taste like, just to see)

I think a few bad habits had crept in plus she has lots going on in her little head.

nipper
28-09-2012, 12:23 PM
My son is 8 and has been just like your little boy. On a school night we send him and his sister up about 7.30pm, but depending on how they have been after school this can be earlier. I always read a story to both and we practice spellings, timestables etc which I know is probably not the best thing to do at that time. Sometimes he likes to listen to the radio quietly (usually Radio 2 which is a bit more relaxing) or put on a cd.
I agree that they can have a great deal of stuff going on in their head at this age, so don't worry too much I'm sure it'll sort itself out. My son has some coloured lights on a string in his room which just gives enough glow without being too bright. Funnily the nights he does get to bed early is a Friday as his weekend is packed full of rugby!

loocyloo
28-09-2012, 12:39 PM
She also has a few drops of Bach Remedy Night. The packet says it helps your mind switch off. Seems to help but don't know if that's placebo effect, so when they run out we will fill with sugar water as that's what they taste like, just to see)



i was just going to suggest a bach flower remedy! when ds was younger 5/6yrs we went through a really bad phase of not being to get to sleep and we tried a flower remedy ... and it worked! like tealady says...no idea if it was the flower remedy or the idea, but, it helped him to get to sleep and to have better sleep!

ds is 10 now and has a weetbix before he goes to bed most nights, as when he doesn't, he doesn't settle very well ! but again, i think its habit, rather than anything else!

we don't have computors/electronic anythings for 1/2hr or so before bed, and only 'boring' programmes on the tv !!! both children then tend to choose to read instead. dd likes music either cd or radio to go to sleep to, ds likes it totally silent and pitch dark ( and will get very cross if we turn the landing light on to do something !!! even with his door firmly shut!)

fionamadcat
28-09-2012, 12:51 PM
My 10 yr old ds is the same we have found that limiting computer time to an hour a day helps and absolutely no computer, ds etc after tea. We also try not to watch much tv after 6ish and if we do only adult 'boring' programmes. He goes up to bed around 8-8.30 and lights out is around 9 (normally when I'm going to bed!). Often he is still awake around 10 though and is a nightmare to get out of bed in the morning. After reading this I might give some of these remedies a go though to see if they make any difference.

Bluebell
28-09-2012, 04:50 PM
hmm I hadn't really thought about the computer or tv disturbing him because some days he likes to play on the computer - at the weekend maybe, but doesn't seem to effect him 'switching off' - perhaps because its the weekend and he's not preoccupied with school. on other days he barley touches the computer or tv becaue they really like to play. I think he has a good imagination but sometimes he has an overactive one!

Today when we walked home from school I was talking to him and getting to sleep and he was talking about watching a tv programme on the telly in his bed and this happened and that happened and I was thinking no wonder he couldn't get to sleep - but he has no TV in his room let alone in his bed - its all in his imagination!

Its really reasssuring to know that its not completely unusual for children to stay awake when they should be going to bed!

Boris
28-09-2012, 05:31 PM
I saw a great kids relaxation video on the net a while back. I'll have a look to see if I can find it. Might have been utube. It was especially for bedtime chilling. Have a look at www.stressfreekids.com too. xxx

Bluebell
28-09-2012, 08:01 PM
Thanks Boris. Have put the boys to bed in separate rooms tonight although my son said his brother keeps hiim awake and is really annoying which is a cheek as its usually the other way round - he keeps talking and the youngest usually goes straight to sleep!

suzyjane73
28-09-2012, 08:04 PM
My 7yr old DS is just the same, he was still awake when I went up to bed at 10pm last night, though he was pretending to sleep. He has such a busy little mind he can't switch off.

More exercise seems to help, he seems more likely to fall asleep earlier when his had a physically busy day or if we go for a run after tea. It's just that the weather has been so rubbish the last few days so no run for us.

Bluebell
28-09-2012, 08:12 PM
ooh running - where do you run? My son would think this was hilarious as he is always going on about my fat tummy and that I should exercise more! Thankfully he says this in a kindly nice way and thinks he is being helpful not rude!

suzyjane73
28-09-2012, 08:19 PM
ooh running - where do you run? My son would think this was hilarious as he is always going on about my fat tummy and that I should exercise more! Thankfully he says this in a kindly nice way and thinks he is being helpful not rude!

Bless him! We started running on and off earlier in the year so we could practise for Sport Relief Mile and just kept it up. But we only run around the block and we have to keep stopping and catching our breath but it does blow the cobwebs away! We don't even wear any special clothes, I have my jeans on and he has his school uniform on.

Bluebell
28-09-2012, 09:05 PM
aha that does sound llike my kind of running as I am quite asthmatic - so is my son though! could run around the estate as its wuitre quiet. Especially now the evenings are quite dark and none of the nighbours can see me lol!