9 year old suddenly having trouble getting to sleep.

[zisforzebra]

My DS (9) has been a great sleeper for years but in the last couple of weeks it's taking him hours to get to sleep.

He's generally in bed and settled by 8pm but is quite often still awake at 10pm. He's shattered in the morning and getting him out of bed is becoming a struggle.

I've asked him anything is bothering him and he says no, he just can't get to sleep. I think it's almost becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy - he thinks he won't sleep so he doesn't.

We've tried badger balm and rescue remedy night which do help but I don't want him to start depending on them in order to sleep.

Any ideas or tips?

My 9yr old DS goes to bed at 9 on a weekday and 10 at weekend, he would be wide-awake at 8 too. Have you considered a later settling time rather than the frustrating 2hr wrestle to achieve sleep?

My DD also 9 is also having problems. Its 11.30 and she's still awake. Her bedtime was 8 and it's now stretched out to 9. But she's still not sleeping. Although we have some problems in the morning it's not that bad - she gets up 7.30.

I can see big black circles under her eyes. How do I get her to sleep again?

I don't want her to intrude on post 9 child free times.

How about introducing a family walk around the block after supper? Fresh air and exercise are great for improving sleep. After that, would suggest no TV (especially fast-paced kids' TV), PC or gaming in the hour up to bed-time - it can be too stimulating for some. Quiet activities only like book-reading for the last hour of the day. Milky drinks combined with some kind of carbohydrate (toast, biscuit etc.) are another good wind-down method.

My dd had this problem and actually I've started putting her to bed earlier. I think she was overtired and this was stopping her sleeping. Sometimes she was awake when I went up between ten and eleven and mornings were a nightmare.

Now we have no tv/computer after five and then after tea around 6 its straight up to bath and bed. She can read for a while but now the light is off by around 7.30, 8 at the absolute latest rather than starting bedtime at 8.

It seems to have worked for us. In the last couple of weeks she's been asleep much sooner down and dressed before everyone else and has her coat on ready to leave fifteen mins early.

She was pretty outraged at first but now that feels better she agrees its fine. Fingers crossed it lasts!

now that SHE feels better I meant..