6 yo DD waking nearly every night and not getting back to sleep for an hour or more

[newfashionedmum]

How common is this and anyone got ideas what to do? She will wake about 2/3 or 4 in the morning, often because of a bad dream, then sit and read for an hour or even more sometimes and eventually get back to sleep but she's kind of wired and fidgety for ages. Generally is not very good at 'relaxing', in fact she relaxes by tensing her muscles IYSWIM.

I am knackered (it wakes me too) and so is she - baggy eyes every morning!

ps this is nearly every day at the moment..

I feel your pain although I am afraid I can offer very little by way of help. My ds has a similar problem.

We have found a personal cd player (amazon), playing story cds from the library helps him to get back to sleep as he can lie still with his eyes closed.

My ds is also "wired" and also 6.

I hope someone else has some ideas.