Suggestions how to get an insomniac 5 year old to sleep?

Question

My child has always found it difficult to fall asleep, even when still a baby. Once asleep - no problems, but put her to bed at 7 or 8 and she's still chatting to herself or singing till 9pm or so. It wouldn't be a problem but she is still tired during the day and I'm sure it's affecting her learning at school, not to mention her mood.

We have had a bedtime routine all her life, including story in bed and cuddle time. It's not an unwillingness to go to bed, just seems to take her such a long time to fall asleep. Her father is also a bit of an insomniac.

Does anyone have any sensible and realistic suggestions?

Answer 1

A glass of warm milk can help. Getting exhausted an hour or so before bedtime is also effective.

Answer 2

Maybe you and the child could go for a walk or play out in the yard every night after supper? I also agree with the person who answered the question about giving some milk.

My older son needed more sleep, and when he was in elementary school, went to bed at around 8:00... the younger son was completely different, and i finally changed his bedtime to between 9 and 9:30. He was no worse for the wear because he didn't need the same amount of sleep, it seems.

Watch the child's sugar intake, too. Sometimes this can keep them wound up. It's interesting to note that lots of foods have added sugar, and we don't even realize it.

If you are concerned, talk to the child's pediatrician. Maybe they would have good advice. take care.

Answer 3

You could try a quiet time an hour before bed with a nice warm drink. Also, no clutter in the room where you're sitting and maybe watch, 'In the Night Garden' on Cbeebies, if you can get it.

Bedrooms need also to be dark, so if you use nightlights, try and take them out. I know she probably won't like the dark but it could work. Also, some lullaby music thing. We had a Winnie the Pooh one which played a tune for 7 odd minutes, getting progressively quieter.

Other than that, try and change their diet. Additives play havoc with kids. I noticed a difference in two of mine when we started eating a lot more healthily. There's so much rubbish in food these days and the addtives / e numbers etc. can cause behavioural issues.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I have a 3 year old like that, all his little life. Not anymore though. Here's what I do!
7-7.30 quiet play or something else calm
7.30-7.45, Bathtime ( taking him out bath with warm towel)
7:45-7:50 A massage (lavendar baby oil, or even johnson baby oil, body shop oil is nice)
7.50 until end story time.

by 8.30 he falls asleep. It can be hard keeping the house calm and quiet, I have 3 elder kids (15, 13 and 11) and they are noisy sods. Week nights I get them to keep things quieter and calm, weekends I relax more.

It can be hard work, but try a routine which includes massage, little ones love it.

Hope thats some help, at least give you some idea

Answer 5

We had the exact same problem and we tried lots of things, this is what we found most successful:

We used a short Story On Tape. He would lay there and listen to it in the dark. This was in addition to story time, but he had to be quiet to listen and we found this settled him down quite well.

Also, we told him he had 20 min. to fall asleep, otherwise he'd have to take a nap the next day. That worked really well too. It wasn't meant as a "punishment", just a logical consequence, but since he hates naps it gave him a reason to stop trying to keep himself up.

We also taught him to fall asleep by "fake" sleeping - close your eyes and pretend to be asleep. This was helpful to him as he'd squirm and talk and wonder why he wasn't falling asleep.

And Last we had a star chart - for every night that he was able to get to sleep quickly, he got a star, and after 10 stars, we would have a popcorn movie night the following weekend.

They will chatter and talk to keep themselves up no matter how tired they are - they just don't want to allow themselves to lose that control and drift off. It's more about that than being tired. Try to give them a reason to fall asleep other than being tired - they really don't care too much about that.

Good Luck

Answer 6

If your mother drinks cafinated coffee she should drink less of it but not stop completely or that will cause her tremendous head aches. I hate to say sleeping pills so I'm going to try to help you find some other solutions. Maybe she could try eating pasta or turkey(something in these foods make people tired). Maybe she could try taking walks during the day to make her a bit exhausted so she could take a nap. If she really just can't sleep, maybe she could try just resting in bed while reading a book or watching TV, listening to some music( Enya is great), etc. Maybe she needs to switch her matress or get a really comfertable pillow. You would be suprised. I really hope this will help you. Good luck. P.S. I would try everything possible before going to meds. Some can be dangerous especially if your mother is an older person.

Answer 7

my little girl never slept through till she was 3,we had a bedtime routeen,bath,book bed,and she would still be awake at 10 at night,it used to drive me mad,my hubby couldnt help out as much ad he worked funny shifts,well for the last 6mths its been great,same things as before but i started to put lavinder drops on a tissue and on her pillow and up to know within 2nmins shes fast asleep and doesnt wake up till the morning,just try it might work for you good luck xx

Answer 8

Try giving her some chamomile tea before bed. It's a mild and safe sedative. Works like a charm for me, usually.

Answer 9

cut off all foods with any sugar in them around 4pm, no drinks after 6 and use a lavendar bath wash that will calm her at bed time... do her bathtime at least an hour before bed and then "cuddle" and read a book before bed... this helped my daughter.

Answer 10

Start putting her to bed at 9:00. It'll feel more night time by then.