Any sleeping meds for nearly 8yo dd?

[Honesttodog]

Sat with 7yo DD gritting my teeth. She just can't fall asleep by herself. Tedious cd playing and she is knackered but just cannot switch off. Going on hols soon. Any herbal remedy I can try? So fed up. She has been crap at falling asleep since birth.

[VioletBam]

My older DD was like this. I worked out that her diet played a huge role in her lack of ability to sleep.

If she has anything with sugar in past about 4.00pm, then she's in for a sleepless night. So we avoid cake, biscuits, hot chocolate, bread...anything with additives really.

It helps a lot. I also allowed her to read or draw in bed with a low light...don't sit there with her. It makes it worse in my opinion...did with DD anyway.

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

I second nor sitting with her, I don't think it helps. Let her read in bed with a low light (DD uses a headtorch!) and it might zone her out enough to drift off.

[ggirl]

"this works" pillow spray ...dunno how but it works on me..

or melatonin ..i get over the counter in Canada and have used it on my son when he was younger ..not on a regular basis but once or twice to get into a routine after jet lag.

dunno if you can get from GP maybe?

[Honesttodog]

Interesting about the sugar thing, I spoke to a homeopath and she mentioned it as well, she said to really focus on it and then also focus on "sleepy foods", eg potatoes etc.

Already tried the spray and it didn't really work.

Interesting,y her problem is that nothing really makes her "nod off", she seems to struggle to transition into a sleepy state, and it was the same when she was a baby. It is something fundamental about her, I believe.

[IwillrunIwillfly]

I used to have problems as a kid falling asleep. There were prob a lot of things contributing but part of it was that I would end up worrying about not sleeping g and being tired the next day etc. In the end it helped that my parents took the pressure off me by saying it didn't matter what time I fell asleep as long as my body was resting. So I could keep a bedside lamp on and read/colour/ listen to a book on tape in until I felt ready to sleep. I still took ages to fall asleep but over time it got better and I felt much less anxious about going to bed. Hope you find something that works for her soon.

[NormHonal]

Melatonin

[Offyougo]

Same here, don't sit with her, let her read or something with a low light. I only tell mine that she needs to stay in bed, then when she sleeps she sleeps.

[GameOfGroans]

Iwillrun it's interesting you should say that as I too had problems sleeping when younger. What really helped was when a family member told me that it didn't matter if I wasn't sleeping, and as long as my body was 'resting' I'd still have the benefits of a full nights sleep. I have no idea if it was true or not, but it took the pressure off so much that it stopped the panicked feeling I'd get while trying to get to sleep!

[Honesttodog]

Can't get melatonin here unless on prescription I think. I suspect will take ages to get on NHS.

[hugoagogo]

I would emphasise the desirability of laying in bed quietly, reading fine, listening to an audio book or the radio all ok. Both to take the pressure trying to sleep and to get her in a place where it's likely to happen.

[tkband3]

Could try listening to a mindfulness app when she's in bed with low lights on - then you go in and say a quiet goodnight...has worked well for my DTs.

[Wolpertinger]

Stop sitting with her. Have a ritual that is the same every single night - brushing teeth, story, whatever that ends with a special phrase between you 'night night love you lots' or whatever you come up with and say the same phrase very single night. And leave.

Having the same routine creates a clear wind down signal + the magic words that bed and sleep is coming. If she isn't asleep to start with then explain 'resting with your eyes closed in the dark' is still good.

Endless CDs and sitting with her is creating stimulation that means it's better to be awake.

[reallyanotherone]

Theres a reason you can't easily get melatonin on the nhs- it has side effects. Funnily enough the nhs don't decide these things to annoy people, there's a risk/benefit which is fully weighed up.

I agree with new bedtime routine, and some hot milk.

[wtffgs]

for you OP

[Honesttodog]

wtffgs can you tell me about yr experience with melatonin?

[reallyanotherone]

brewcake for you OP

Oh come on, I was referring to those upthread suggesting melatonin as if it's some sort of herbal remedy, it's not, and that's why it's not available OTC in this country- which is what I meant by "easily".

Of course you can get it on prescription, I didn't say you couldn't. But the NHS examines pharmaceuticals carefully before it's allowed off prescription. They have to be sure it has almost no side effects before they will do it.

[nicknamehelp]

Have u tried lavender oil in room?
Routine is key and reading/audio book on her own.
Talk to her and let her come up with a bedtime routine then stick to it explain after a certain time you cant sit with her as you have jobs to do but reasure her you are only downstairs

[wtffgs]

DD suffers from extreme anxiety and melatonin helps to push her over the edge into sleep. It doesn't drug her. I am persuaded that any notional side effects are more than compensated for by the fact she usually gets a decent night's sleep these days. This makes her feel more able to cope with the challenges of the next day.

ALL drugs, pharmaceutical or herbal have side-effects. Melatonin is OTC in the US, interestingly.

[Honesttodog]

Thanks wtf. Is it a short or long term solution?

[wtffgs]

DD has been on it for a couple of years. The underlying anxiety is being addressed through therapy and lots of exercise. It gets easier to talk about it as she matures.