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Sleep dodging/school anxiety! Advice on getting a 6 (almost 7) yr old to fall asleep

8 replies

Sus1604 · 08/09/2024 23:00

I’m not sure which way to turn…

my daughter, more often than not, can take an age to fall asleep at night…. Which can be worse on school nights.

it seems to be getting worse rather than better.. I think our bedtime routine is ok:

no iPad during the week
TV off at least an hour before bed
bath, shower or wash
cuddle time with 2 stories, one she reads and one we read

in the last 6 months she says shes scared of the dark… 6.5yrs before that it has to be dark, she was never good at getting to sleep if there was a light. She now has the light on, and then sleeps with an eye mask!

she was scared that monsters were under her bed - had a mid-sleeper so I’ve now bought a normal bed.

every night she shouts to tell us she feels really sick, that something hurts. or she’s sad or worried about something, or she’s picked her finger or toe nails so short I can’t believe they’re not bleeding!

she has a motivational journal
Ive previously spoken to school who tell us she’s a happy, confident and smart girl.
she does performing arts and Rainbows - all confidence builders
we chat some days about what our daily highlights are or worries or challenges
I’ve attended sessions on sleep and anxiety in kids and I seem to be doing the right things but nothing gets her to sleep

sorry for the long post but any advice would be welcome.
thank you x

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 09/09/2024 13:47

Maybe just take the pressure to go to sleep away?

Let her read/watch something/listen to something/do some wiring or colouring for as long as she needs rather than having a set lights off, go to sleep now routine.

Sus1604 · 09/09/2024 18:52

We don’t have a lights off time. I just go in when I’m off to bed and switch them off some nights. She’s left to read or play with her teddies.

last night it was closer to 11 before she’d gone to sleep 😴

OP posts:
RandomMess · 09/09/2024 19:01

Have you tried her listening to stories

xyz111 · 09/09/2024 19:06

My son falls asleep listening to the Hospital Dog every night on Alexa. Every... single... night 🤦🏻‍♀️

Aria20 · 09/09/2024 20:14

@Sus1604 my daughter same age sounds very similar. Every night always an excuse to delay bedtime. Also wants light left on, shouts out in night or comes into our room for some reason or another - scared, cold, needs toilet/drink etc - she has a drink in her room, extra blanket and she has to walk past the toilet to get to our room so could go by herself. I try to be patient but I'm exhausted- it's like having a baby again with disrupted sleep.

No real suggestions but thinking about it, it is worse in term time and it didn't happen at all on a recent family holiday abroad over summer so maybe it is school related anxiety - she is clingy every drop off despite lots of friends.

RandomMess · 09/09/2024 21:23

The thing that helped my DD the most was a very large heavy cat that would go to bed with and then sleep on her.

Not something you can replicate easily.

Weighted blanket could help too.

Sus1604 · 09/09/2024 21:31

@RandomMess she’d take a large dog sleeping on her bed if I’d give in to getting another 🤣

ive tried audio stories before but get shouted to out the next one on 🙄🤦‍♀️

OP posts:
FumingTRex · 09/09/2024 21:36

It sounds like anxiety about school to me? My DS was like this. Audiobooks and white noise helped, but ultimately the cure was changing school

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