Please help regarding ds not sleeping

[Dollslikeyouandme]

I'm not sure if this belongs in here but I have posted in behaviour and development also. Really need some advice though.

Ds is 5 years old. He has always slept very well, even when he was a baby only waking up for a feed and cuddle and settling straight back to sleep. He slept well through the toddler years, he'd have a nap and still sleep for 12 hours, and has always had the same routine, milk, bath, story then bed. He's always gone to bed early and got up late.

He's 5 now, and recently, probably the past 6 months to a year, but slowly getting increasingly worse, he doesn't seem to be sleeping as well.

He goes to bed absolutely fine, as I said, he has the same routine of a drink of milk, a bath and a story. But I've started to notice it's just taking him ages to go off to sleep.

He's not playing up, he's not getting out of bed, or refusing to go to bed, he just can't sleep. And sometimes on a bad night this is going on until 10 o'clock at night.

There are no behaviour problems with him, he eats well, probably watches a little too much tv, but doesn't have a tv in his room or anything, and he isn't playing video games or anything to over stimulate him. He gets plenty of exercise, weekends we are usually outside for hours in the park or on long walks.

For example yesterday I picked him up from school, we went to the shops, we had tea then he had his swimming lesson, bath, story and bed by 7.30pm. He was still tossing and turning up there at 9 o'clock.

Tonight I've picked him up from school, straight home, did homework, had tea. I tried to get him to read his book, he wouldn't go and get his book and was rolling around on the floor (all through tiredness), so I went and got it, then he wouldn't read it, I made the mistake of saying that I'd have to write in his reading journal that he wouldn't read his book, and that led to the tantrum. He was screaming and crying, this is completely unlike him, I know for a fact that it was because he is just completely exhausted, he was inconsolable and ran upstairs to bed sobbing. I went up after him and he was falling asleep while I was talking to him, I persuaded him to get up for a bath and a story and to brush his teeth but I had to undress him as he was ust lying on the floor still sobbing. He calmed down and was happier once he'd had a bath and even said sorry for shouting (I hadn't asked him to ust asked if he was ok now) I'm now thinking that I should have just left him as this seemed to wake him up that all happened at about 5.30pm tonight and he went to bed at about 6.30pm straight after bath and story as he was so tired, and he's still awake now

I really don't know what to do, I leave him to it as he's not getting up, I pop in each hour just to tuck him in and settle him down.

I feel so sorry for him, he's got to go to breakfast club and after school club tomorrow as I will be at work.

As I said he had a routine, the house is nice a quiet, his room is comfy, what else can I try?

[Dollslikeyouandme]

I should probably add that once he does get to sleep, he doesn't wake up until the next morning.

[lilli30101968]

You can take him to see an Osteopath 1 or 2 sessions will help . Good luck

[Ragusa]

Why would an osteopath help exactly?!? Is the bad sleep bone or joint related?! [puzzled]

I would say it's possible that his need for sleep is possibly reducing. It may be that he is going to bed before he is tired, tossing and turning as a consequence and then, paradoxically not even falling to sleep when he is in fact tired.

Dd was always a child who needed a lot of sleep. She will be 6 early next yr and now is fine with an 830-9pm bedtime, waking at around 715-745. She did 12 nighttime hours plus 2 hours at lunch until she was 3.

If you think this is totally out of character and there are other changes in him, might be best to nip him along to GP for a once-over.

[changeforthebetter]

Hi, sympathies DC started this age 7. Previously a fantastic sleeper (think smug-mug-at-baby-group!)

This issue has never been resolved and DC needs melatonin every night. I have tried lots of times to do without but DC cannot fall asleep before midnight without it. 0000 is not an ideal time to go to sleep when you a arrive at childcare seven and a half hours later