Sleep issues with G&T kids

[abeltasman]

one thing that I have struggled with for the last 6 years, is getting my DS to sleep. He says there are too many things going on in his head, and counts/does sums or reads under the covers in bed. I just had to take away his reading book (an hour after putting him to bed) so he is doing speed/distance calculations in his head instead (as you do!)

I sympathise with him, I had the same problem as a child. Unfortunately it isn't a habit I could kick.

Anyone else have any experience of this and any solutions? I know their brains are going 100mph but it's TIME FOR BED! We have tried child meditation, etc with mixed results. My DS is exhausted but his poor brain is still revved up...

Dd1 is 7 and G&T (or very bright), she also has Aspergers syndrome, she can't shut down, says 'theres to much going on in her head', she will write in her diary and then read before bed. She now takes medication to help her sleep, it has been a god send, she's so much better now she gets a full nights sleep.

Have you tried meditation type techniques? I find these help if I can't get to sleep. It sounds a bit silly but one is to imagine you are lying on a beach and feeling each bit of your body from toe to top sinking into the lovely warm sand, hearing the waves lapping against the shore etc etc.

You could even get him a meditation for sleep CD?

This is an exercise to try and focus externally instead of what is going on inside your head. I so this and I do it with DD who is four

Sit down
Say out loud 3 things you can see
Then 3 thing you can hear
Then 3 thing you can feel (your bottom on the chair not feelings )
Repeat doing 2 things then repeat doing 1 thing

Hope this helps.

Thank you soooo much for this post!! My daughter is exactly the same, she always complains she has too much thoughts! I also confiscated all her bedtime books but then she just went mental with maths, constantly doing sums in her head! Recently i've given her a wordsearch book, told her she could only do a couple of pages per night, seems to be working (touch wood!)

i wonder how many Gifted and talented kids are on the autistic spectrum. Ds has aspergers. totally nocturnal. totally brilliant in his chosen speciality.

ah.

I had this as a chid, the thing is to try and lock on to something which is not too stimulating, but enough to damp down other thoughts. One that works for me which I 'invented' as a child was to imagine I was on a car journey which I took often, and visualise the surroundings in detail. Or 'walk' round houses in your imagination which you have been to in the past. So things that are less analytical and verbal but more visual. Or 'listen' to music in your head, again best without lyrics.

It probably doesn't work for everyone.

Chid=child, obv!

I just accept that ds doesnt need as much sleep as other dcs. He'll prob be an adult who gets by on 4 hours a night. Nothing wrong with less than avera%e sleep, per se, but if your dc is tired, then that is another matter. Could you ge5 them to do sports after school so they are physically exhausted?

NAGC has a fact sheet on their website about gifted children and sleep. You can find it here: www.nagcbritain.org.uk/parents.php?id=92&pagenum=2

We have tried child meditation CDs with limited success. When he was 2 we gave him a printed 100 number square which (ironically!) worked. waking up early isn't a problem as he just reads until he gets dressed. Sport after school - he does tennis, swimming and gymnastics (rugby in winter). High octane in everything!

darleneoconnor I think its hereditary for my daughter, i have been an insomniac all my life, wrote all my best poems and created all my masterpieces in the middle of the night. Currently 32 weeks preg and haven't slept in exactly 5 days, just waiting to faint or something!! :-o

try asking GP about sending you to a specialist who could prescribe melatonin.