HELP! It takes my daughter (7) 1-2 hours to finally go to sleep, what should I do, school about to start back

Question

and I don't want this to be a problem?

Answer 1

First of all, make sure she starts getting up early in the morning, just like she would for school. Routine is your best solution. After dinner, have her take a nice hot bath, then before bed a nice story...nothing too stimulating like TV. Have her say her prayers with you if you do that. If you do this every night, it will become habit. She will generally drift off in 5 to 30 minutes if she is really tired and lies still. Sit with her in her room and read a book for yourself or just outside her door. Don't allow her to get up. Make sure she has a sip of water and uses the bathroom before she goes to bed. I am a mother of five children. Their ages range from 21 years down to 8. I know what works. Establishing a bedtime routine will work beautifully. Just make sure you stick with it. It won't be easy at first, but within two weeks I promise you, it will work.

Answer 2

It naturally takes me about 30 to 40 minutes to fall asleep, so I generally have to get in bed a bit earlier. Here are some tips:

1. Cut back on sugar and caffeine, and definitely none at all after 5 or 6 p.m.

2. She may need some more activity during the day. That's what I needed. I couldn't fall asleep because I hadn't done anything that day. Go on a power-walk for about 30-45 minutes.

3. Sometimes I just sit there and think, or I'm stressed. Maybe she should take a warm bath, or read a book, or watch a short show. When I was younger, I watched Fantasia or an old lullaby tape before bed. She might even fall asleep while watching or reading!

4. Sometimes my mom or dad would stay in the same room until I fell asleep. Sometimes it helped if one of my sisters slept in the same room with me.

5. Nightlights can be good and bad. Your daughter might like the light, but she may like the dark. Ask her.

6. Get her on schedule. She needs to get up at the same time every day and go to sleep at the same time every day. She should probably get up at 8 or 9 a.m. depending on her summer activities, and 6 or 7 a.m. during the school year. She should be going to bed at 9 p.m. or so.

7. This goes back to #1. Make sure she's eating healthy! Don't be a health nut, but get her protein, fruits, and veggies in!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

I would suggest that you get your daughter on a regular sleep schedule, such as she's in bed by 8 pm and up by 7 am. Also, watch what your daughter eats and drinks in the evenings, and control her activites some in the evening as well. Don't let her watch tv or play video games, etc. after supper if you can. Instead have her go outside and play or do something that will get her moving. Give this about 2-3 weeks, and if you don't notice a difference call and talk to your daughter's doctor to discuss what else can be done.

Answer 4

All the advice given is very good. The only thing that seems missing is information on what is happening during that one to two hours that she is in bed and can't fall asleep. I had that problem as a child. Now, as an adult, I realize that what I needed was room darkening blinds, a white noise machine and for someone to address a lot of the anxiety that I had that made me toss and turn. My parents had recently divorced, and I think I was able to put it out of mind mind in the day, but when I got to lying in bed at night it was the only thing I could think about (worry about) and sleep would not come. My bedtime was also much earlier than most of the other kids in the neighborhood and I could hear them outside playing, and that was quite a distraction from sleep.

Answer 5

Start a routine that you will follow every evening such as dinner, an hour of tv, bath, quiet time in room for half an hour then lay down. Also make sure she is staying busy during the day. No nap time. When all else fails...Benadryl for about five days in a row then her body should get into the routine of going to sleep at bedtime.

Answer 6

No sugars 4 hours before bed. If it takes her that long to go to sleep, put her down at an ealier time and the routine will follow. I had the same problem as a kid. That's what I had to do. Make sure she gets plenty of exercise throughout the day. It will wear her down a bit. Good luck hun!

Answer 7

We had a DEUCE of a time getting our five year old to get in the habit. Just try to start a routine time for going to sleep, and for getting up. It did not take too long to get her to start giving up at a reasonable time, once the body clock got set a little bit. Also, no matter how frustrated you get, do the best you can to avoid "fussy" words or threats. Littletots have an amazing memory for things we did not mean, or should not have said.

Get her to bed, and then go outside and whimper quietly instead... For this too shall pass. Eventually!" :{)

Answer 8

Subconciously u r so anxious 4 her 2 sleep that she is doing just the opp. Just relax. U did not metion her age. If possible make it a routine and leave her in her room at a specific x say abt 8pm. tell her its bedx. Leave her alone and do do not worry what x she will fall asleep. As long as u know that she is ok pretend not to hear her when she demands yr presence. Its will be difficult but slowly but surely she will realise that she cannot control u and she will fall asleep of her own accord

Answer 9

Start right away. Wake her up early - as early as you would need to in order to get her up and out of the house in time for school. Make her shower/bathe, get dressed, eat breakfast, and then run her butt off all day. Keep her busy and don't let her take a nap. Don't allow her to go to bed until the time you would want her to go to bed for school. Repeat until school starts.

There's no other way - either this will happen before school starts back or it will happen when she goes to school and she will be grumpy/sleepy for the teacher.

Answer 10

I had the same problem last year. What I did was to move my son's bed time to 8:30pm, told him that he could watch tv in bed until 9pm and then lights out. I cut out all cafeine after 3pm, at first he was still 10pm falling asleep but after a few weeks he began to fall asleep by 9. Good Luck