Older primary aged children and difficult sleep

[Curlewwoohoo]

How do you cope? What are your coping mechanisms? I mean coffee is a given.

Dd age 9 has never been a sleeper. Sleep trained as a baby, couldn't not. Sleep consultant aged 4. Melatonin from the doctor aged 5 but doesn't really help imo. Goes to sleep ok, but doesn't stay there. During bad sleep spells she's often awake hours or multiple wake ups. Currently waking every hour like she can't link sleep cycles, and waking distressed, probably because of stress hormones being released. She does have periods of good sleep where she sleeps through. She never wants to go to bed. Fighting her own body clock.

She's got a red night light, a bed tent, a compression sheet or weighted blanket, white noise if she wants, piano music, an mp4 player with stories, mindful meditations, a journal... I take her to bed at 8:45, lights out at 9pm, but she can listen to audio books. Sometimes she's asleep in minutes. Other times she's still awake when I go to bed at 10. She's sometimes still awake at 11.

I've learnt more than I ever wanted to know about sleep. I have high sleep needs! We are a mismatch. My current aim is to help her understand it's not necessarily a problem if she's awake, she'll possibly always be like this, she doesn't need to call anyone she can rest in bed.

I'm not really coping well this week.

Bumping

Have you had her ferritin tested? I believe low ferritin can trigger restlessness. Also, have you considered getting her eyes tested?
Low ferritin definitely triggers restlessness and insomnia in me so I take iron which helps.
My son is a poor sleeper, I've v recently had his bloods done and he has low ferritin and I'm hoping iron will help. He also has worn glasses since Xmas and it's made him more settled when watching TV and reading. I know these are quite random and probably not what you expected to hear but wanted to share my specific experiences in case they resonate.

my dc wakes most nights, though not hourly- you poor thing that sounds dreadful.
My solution is for Dc to have a double bed, so when awake I can get into bed too sleep there. Certainly not ideal, but better than being up & down all night for us.

I expect she has got low ferritin, she doesn't eat much meat at all, no red meat, and looks pale. I can pick up some of the liquid stuff. Worth a try. My ferritin is low so I know it can have a big impact.

@magicscares she doesn't sleep next to someone either though. All I heard when she was little was cosleep. But she wouldn't even then!

My DD was scared of the sensation of 'falling' asleep - she couldn't vocalise it but was afraid she wouldn't wake up.
I also told her that if she can't sleep, not to worry - resting is almost as good. I think that helped take the stress of lying awake while everyone else seemed to be asleep.

I appreciate the replies, thank you.

I always told them if they could not sleep, they could read or play quietly, but they had to stay in their rooms.