9 Year Old Can't Sleep

Hello C.,

if she takes allergy medications, that could be one of the side effects. if so, talk with her doctor about switching. try also using some essential oils like lavender. use music, rub her feet and ankles and her hands/wrist/foreams to help her relax. you might not want to tell her at first that is to get her to sleep. also, when my son does that is when he needs to talk usually nothing in particular ... just a friendly ear and then he gets back to sleeping OK. also, make sure she's not getting any caffeine and no tv/video games after 7pm. Good luck!

~C.~

My soon to be 14 yr old gets wired and it is hard for her to fall asleep. She often wakes me around midnight and she has not been asleep.

One thing she does on a schedule is take a hot shower nightly, take care of her face and teeth. Then she reads. I think her issue is that she is so into her books, she can't put them down.

When she takes a benedryl, she follows her routine and falls asleep perfectly. Of course, we do not do that on a nightly basis but we do when her allergies are acting up.

I don't know about yours but my daughter can sleep til noon on weekends...When they have sleepovers, which are often, these girls dont go to bed until 2 or so. We had to limit that and say lights out.

Does she take any medications?
My son likes to take a nice hot shower and read for 30 minutes to an hour before lights off.
Maybe just a small ritual would help, like a glass of milk and a short chapter to read, or a quiet cd to listen to.
I wish I had her stamina!
Good luck

What about Melatonin - It is safe for children. I would check into that @ Whole Foods.

I dont know if she is a reader but I remember at that age, my little mind would just wander and keep me awake. I began reading so that I didnt have to think about 'real' things. I still do it to this day before bed. Maybe she could try reading?

Hi C.
I have a daughter that does the exact same thing. She can't go to sleep because she is scared someone might come in and take her. She has a very overactive imagination and she is a worrier. So if your daughter is anything like mine it may be that. I just have to reassure her that we aren't going to let anyone do anything to her. We pray together and ask God to take care of her and help her parents take care of her and help her have good dreams. Usually does the trick. There are nights when that doesn't work but for the most part it does. Good luck!