Sleep Anxiety 7 year old

[EdenGlen]

Hi,

My 7 year old is anxious about quite a lot of things but bedtime is a particular trigger at the moment. We haven’t put any pressure on but he is worried about getting to sleep too late and so cries and cries at bedtime that he isn’t ever going to get to sleep and it’ll be too late.

We have tried moving bedtime earlier and later but that doesn’t make any difference. He currently switches the light off at 8pm after bath, stories and independent reading and is up between 6:30 and 7am.

Our current strategy is going up to see him and reassure him every 10 mins providing he is quiet for that time as the crying and shouting wakes him up more. It’s hard seeing him get so upset though.

I think it’s worse at the moment as he isn’t as tired when he’s not at school.

Any suggestions? He’s reluctant to listen to audio books as he thinks they will stop him from falling asleep.

I’d definitely try the audiobooks, he can turn it off if he can’t fall asleep with it on. I mostly fall asleep with a podcast on. I think you could discuss his worry about not getting enough sleep, I’m really intrigued where that has come from, and really reassure him that it doesn’t matter that much about getting “enough” sleep. And make sure he is getting a lot of activity / exercise in the day

What about sleep mediation apps for kids if he doesn't see want audiobooks? My DD can struggle with sleep at times too, she loves audiobooks at bedtime and they definitely help her sleep. We talk lots about it not being the end of the world if you miss a night's sleep, sleep will find you etc to try and take the pressure off. She has worry dolls she sometimes uses. We also use a sleep lavender spray which seems to help too.

Would something like a worry monster help? That he can write down all his worries, to get them out his head?

Thanks for those suggestions. I’ll try them all. We’ve spent a long time talking about how it doesn’t matter if you go to sleep late but it doesn’t seem to be sinking in. I think I started it a few months ago when he was messing about at bedtime the day before we were due to go out and I said something like. “You need to get some sleep now or you’ll be tired tomorrow”. I think things have gradually got worse since then.