My 12 yo ds has been waking in the night since late summer, and finds it really hard to go back to sleep. I thought at the time it was nervousness at starting high school, but it's never gone away, even though he seems to quite enjoy school and hasn't had any worries when there.
He tends to wake about 12midnight or 1am and can't get back to sleep, feels sick and panics that he's actually going to be sick and that makes it all worse. He insists on putting his big light on as opposed to his wee reading light. He then reads for a while (how long??) and eventually drops off - or comes through to me very upset saying he's going to be sick. I'm very firm with him and always explain that he only feels sick because his body needs to sleep, that there's nothing I can do and to go back to bed.
Last night he woke at midnight and then again at 5am. When I went through to wake him at 7.15am, he was already awake and reading, and couldn't tell me how long he'd been awake. Also, at midnight, he actually went to the front door and opened it (always says he needs fresh air to not be sick) but then left it unlocked and I noticed our driveway gate was open although we always shut it without fail. Was he out in the driveway in the middle of the night??? Is he cracking up and what can I do?
Xmas eve is another issue. He's very easily excited and about 3 years ago, he woke at 2am and didn't get back to sleep - he coped with Xmas Day OK, but on Boxing Day his body was so knackered that he lay in bed ALL DAY, not able to speak, eat or even watch TV! Because of all the recent sleep problems, you can imagine I'm dreading Xmas eve....