My 7 year old has gone back 3 years!

[craftydafty]

DS is 8 in October,
Over the past 2 weeks it started by him not being able to get to sleep until 4am, no reason for it he just couldn't sleep, I didn't complain because he's been a great sleeper since he was about 5 now,

Fast forward to now and in the space of that 2 weeks he has only been asleep before 11pm once,

We have a bed time routine, off all screens by 7pm, bath time, plays with toys, story and bed for around 8.30-9 he used to always be asleep by 9.30.

The past 2 weeks he is up and down since the moment he gets in bed, He will go for a "wee" 8 times in an hour, say he's bored, nothing to think of, can't sleep, not tired, wants to get in my bed.

I don't know what to do it's currently midnight and I am in bed right next door and he's just shouting mum mum mum every 3 seconds asking to get in my bed and that he's too bored to go sleep 😔

No matter what time he goes to sleep he will be awake before 8.30am, is it mean if i set my alarm tomorrow for 7am so he will sleep better tomorrow night?

We have been bike riding, to the park and out in the garden every day this week,

Please help, what can I do? I'm exhausted I feel like I have a newborn again!

He is old enough to know his behaviour is not acceptable. However, it might also mean he is old enough to respond to a reward chart where he gets rewarded for staying quietly in his room listening to an audiobook until he falls asleep. I would also see if you can find out if he has any worries that are praying on his mind... children can get some odd ideas and can get pretty overwhelmed by them.

We have had a whole big talk about if there is anything worrying him and he just said it's literally because if he has nothing to think of he can't fall asleep, so I suggest things for him and he just brushes them off and says it's boring,

I feel like I can't win, I have tried a reward chart and he just doesn't stick to it but I will definitely dig it out and give it another go! Thank you

Also the audiobook thing sounds good, do you know how I go about finding one? Thanks

Your library probably provides audiobooks for you to download.