Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Worried about 9 yo dd's bedtime rituals

1 reply

kipperthedog · 01/05/2020 07:35

Hello Smile

I'm getting concerned about my dd's bedtime rituals which and wondering if they are bordering on OCD. She's 9 but this has been an issue to some degree for a good year or two now.

So bedtime routine is she has some chill time in her room for half an hour 7.30-8 then I read her a chapter of a book on her bed, she brushes her teeth, goes to the toilet.. so far so good.. then we have to look out the window with her teddy (at one point it was as many teddies as she could possibly hold in two arms). I count to 10 shut the curtains then into bed. Kiss, cuddle, high five, good night. I have to check there are no teddies on the floor. I go downstairs. Then follows four or five trips up the stairs to look out the window "one more time and I'll go straight to sleep", she goes to the toilet repeatedly onetime after another. I am asked to check the taps are off when I go to bed. Check there are no teddies on the floor.

I'm concerned as she finds this distressing but doesn't know why she does it. For looking out the window she says she just likes looking at the clouds but if I suggest sleeping with the curtains open she looks horrified and says no because she will never stop looking and won't get any sleep.

I've tried letting her read her book rather than saying straight to sleep but the rituals just happen later, I've bought her a lava lamp to watch in the hope it'll soothe her mind but it doesn't help.

I just don't know what to do. It's upsetting for her and I want to help her. Not knowing how to help her is concerning.

In daytime she washes her hands a lot, sometimes obsessively but other than that no rituals. She lives between myself and her Dad but I don't know what bedtime is like there as he is impossible to talk to.

Any suggestions, experiences, recommendations great fully received.

Thanks.

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 01/05/2020 09:51

have a read through this (the signs of OCD in children). You can speak to your GP (through an over the phone appointment) and see what they suggest if that would help/ if you recognize a lot of the signs from the link.

all the best x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.