Help get my 10 year old to sleep

[pigsinmud]

Ok. Ds2 (10 yr6) can't sleep. This problem started a year ago when he was very anxious about school. We spoke to senco at school, went to cahms, anxiety lessened and he slept slightly better. He had a meditation cd which really helped get him to sleep.

It has come back. Has been getting progressively worse since Christmas. The last few weeks he has not got to sleep before midnight. Last night (and last Saturday night) he was still awake at 2am. I found him this morning asleep in front of tv. He said he had come down in the night as he couldn't sleep. The meditation cd no longer works. He doesn't seem worried at the moment, he just can't get to sleep.

HELP! He looks so tired in the mornings.

Does he have SATs coming up? If so that could be playing on his mind. Poor thing, he must be shattered.

I used to struggle to sleep at that age (many moons ago) and used to fall asleep with music playing on headphones - I found that it blocked any other thoughts out.

have a look at the
"9 year old wont sleep in his own room" thread.
Not the same situation but it helps to know that others have older child sleep problems too.

Would it help to stroke his head or something for a few minutes to relax him and/or reassure you will go up every so often? Perhaps you could take the pressure off him to go to sleep and encourage him to read a book until he is really sleepy. Music or a story tape as suggested above may help. We've also tried relaxing techniques- Where you scrunch your whole body up concentrating on all points of the body then relaxing again making sure every bit of the body goes floppy. Another one would be to count down from 5 to 1 repeatedly, each time relaxing shoulders and other body parts to sink into the bed(these were not too successful as my son didn't buy into them but your son is older and might) but you can probably buy books on other techniques too.
Good luck

Thanks I'll have a look at the other thread.

He's tried reading. He loves reading and just goes on and on and on....
He does have several story CDs, but again they seem to keep him awake now.

I don't particularly want to go in to his room too often as every time he drags you into a big conversation! Last night he was asleep by 11:30, so slightly better. I think he was really tired from the sleepless night before!

My 11 yo dd would also read all night if you let her, but is actually desperate to go to sleep. She knows she needs the rest, but really struggles, same as me. DH doesn't get it, all his family are the same, just go to bed and are asleep before their heads reach the pillow. We've tried the doctor (I was hoping to get referred to a sleep clinic, as we're at our wits' end) but they aren't offering anything at all, not even advice.

It is a comfort to know I'm not the only one!