10 year old who can't sleep...?

Question

My 10 year old step daughter has no problem falling asleep, but she doesn't stay asleep...she doesn't complain of anything hurting her, we are stumped...any thoughts?

Answer 1

I would try and figure out what might be keeping  her awake. Make sure she doesn't have anything before bed.  Give her a piece of turkey it has natural stuff in it that makes people fall a sleep. Have you ever noticed after people eat turkey at a holiday they are all sleepy.  If it keeps up you may want to talk with a doctor maybe something is going on or maybe she just doesn't require alot of sleep. god bless holiday...

Answer 2

soft music

Answer 3

Maybe she has too much sugar or caffeine before going to bed... try giving her a warm cup of milk.

Answer 4

First, look at her diet.  Candy, sodas, even chips all can affect sleep.  It's always best to have a healthy diet no matter what the age.

Second, I know this can be hard when you're busy, but what are the "pre-bedtime" activities like?  Is it hectic?  Does she do a lot of sports or music lessons or play dates?  She may need to simplify a little.  Or start doing some calm quiet time an hour before bed.  Read, warm milk, soft music.  It can help stay asleep too.  Rests the mind.

Try music or ocean sounds or something while she's sleeping.  

Depending on how much you've already tried, I'd say go to a doctor if it keeps up.  Maybe he has some good ideas.

Answer 5

Luckily I just did a bit of research on this exact topic (I'm an education grad student finishing in may with an elementary ed degree) so I have some suggestions and resources that you can check out.

Firstly, make sure that:

you set a regular bedtime and stick to it

create some sort of relaxing ritual before bed, like reading a book

choose relaxing activities before bedtime. Don't let him on the computer or watch the tv one hour before bed. The light from the screens on these gadgets actually interfere with the body's natural drop in core temperature and melatonin release, which can delay sleep by 2 hours (bronson, 2007)

make sure her bedroom is at a comfortable temperature, our circadian rythym is light AND temperature sensitive

keep the room dark and the noise level low

avoid large meals and caffeine, small snacks are best

make sure he's getting enough exercise.

If these things don't help, then I would take hherim to the doctor to see if any other reason can be discovered. If she snores loudly, has trouble staying awake during the day or stops breathing during her sleep, these are signs that something serious (sleep apnea, insomnia) may be playing a part.

Seeing the doctor is also a good idea because a lot of kids are diagnosed with ADHD when they actually have a sleeping disorder. 70% of the american population has a sleeping disorder and this percent includes kids.

It could be something as simple as she is stressed out about school or something with her friends is bothering her. Or it could be something as complex as adrenaline spiking at that time, which wakes her up.

There are also foods you can eat that will help sleep. Yogurt is one of those foods, but you can also do a google search and find others.

I'll list some resources for you below, I hope this helped. I'm glad that my research could benefit someone!