Sleeping issue - need a rant

[tiredmumma93]

DD, 7, has developed a sleeping issue.
2 weeks of very broken, very little sleep.

Just gone into year 3 (pressure has been upped) and just been diagnosed with dyslexia (she is happy with this as she'll get extra help).

The sleeping issue is killing us.
Teacher hasn't noticed any change, only a decline in her reading.
Drs emailed me today after I submitted an online enquiry for help saying they cannot help as they do not give sleeping aids to 7 year olds and to talk to the school.

I am at my wits end.

I cannot do anything to help her.

I have tried talking to her about any worries- she says there are none and doesn't know what's happening to her.
I've tried warm milk before bed (she doesn't like milk and is desperate to sleep so has been drinking it)
No screen time at all (iPad has been confiscated)
Warm baths

I've bought a weighted blanket which should arrive Friday but I feel so bloody useless.

She can feel my frustration and is frustrated herself.

She's always slept so well and now neither of us can cope.

Drs was my last option and they've dismissed me. Crappy email that I can't reply too and that's it.

I don't know what to do.

I'm not sure the point of this rant- might just need to get it out. Just feel like a failure and crap parent

Can school offer any talking therapies, or anything at all ?
You could try the school nurse.

What time does she go to bed ?
What is her pre bed routine ?
How much does she sleep ?

Can you get into bed with her, put something very soothing like Blue Planet on the laptop with the sound and light down as low as possible and then just go to sleep together?

You aren't a failure and you definitely are not a crap parent because you're trying to find ways to help your dd. I don't have any advice but felt like I should respond to you about being a failure. Be kind to yourself, you're doing everything you can.

Can she sleep in with you for a bit?

She goes to bed between 8-8.15

Nightly routine is- no screen time after dinner (5.30/5.45 latest), bath although sometimes she doesn't want too, colouring/ books, warm milk has now been added, then into bed.

She was sleeping through from roughly 8.30/8.45 to 7.00 am.

School is the only thing I can think that has affected her.
The teacher who did the dyslexia screening said the pressure in year 3 has been amped up, but my DD says school is fine and doesn't know why she can't sleep

Thank you.. I'm not usually one to post but it was either post or sit crying, feeling sorry for myself.

At least this way, it's slightly productive and I can get other opinions

Very nervous to introduce this as I feel it would start a never ending cycle.. I think she'd end up getting too dependent on it

Have you tried audio books or similar? I cannot get to sleep in silence.

Is she going to sleep then waking, struggling to get to sleep?

Could she be getting cold and that's waking her? It was about 2 weeks ago the temperature started dropping here

I tried calming music but it was playing on her iPad which I've since taken away..

Most nights she will drift off as she is tired but wakes during the night.

Tonight was a little harder to get off to sleep but I think she may be asleep now... fingers crossed

She sleeps on a blanket, has a duvet and a blanket..

I have ordered a weighted blanket incase there's anxiety that she cannot communicate- should be arriving Friday hopefully!

The school family liaison officer emailed me offering two workshops which looked interesting.
They were mainly about communicating but they were on a Wednesday morning for about 8 weeks - I work so wouldn't be able to attend but asked if they could do anything out of working hours... I got no reply

There are kids meditative story things. My 7yo dd uses the sesame street ones which I think are on the Mind app. I was sharing a room with her on holiday over the summer and I listened to it with her and it even put me to sleep! Maybe worth a go

When mine were younger I used to cosleep with them during tough times. It never lasted long, but I’d do anything for a better nights sleep. It’s so much easier on you if you don’t have to get out of bed when she stirs - you might find she doesn’t, or you might get to the bottom of what’s waking her if she’s in with you.

You could try a handful of magnesium salts in her bath to relax her.

Also full body relaxation techniques - the sort of thing where you start at the top of your head and then tensing and relaxing each body part down to her toes, so she has something she could try in the night when she wakes up without disturbing you.

Reassure her that lying still and resting is just as good as sleep (of course it's not, but if she's getting anxious about waking up, she needs reassurance her body will sleep when it needs to).

Also online search for cortisol surge sleep disruption - there might be more ideas.

Behavioural optometry can be very useful. There is a known link between abnormal melatonin regulation and dyslexia. Use of coloured glasses during the day can help regulate melatonin and improve sleep patterns. Plus they can help with other features of the visual processing difficulties of dyslexia.