My 13 year old has a hard time falling asleep. is there anything that she can eat or drink that will help her?

Question

My 13 year old has a hard time falling asleep. is there anything that she can eat or drink that will help her?

Answer 1

When I was in the third grade, I had troubles falling asleep. My mom went to the doctor one day when I was at school and told her doctor about it and her doctor told her to give me the regular dosage of Children's liquid Benadryl. She said it works like a charm and it is safe also. I did it and it worked like magic; I was asleep within 30 minutes of taking it. I recommend the children's kind even though she is 13 because it will not be strong but equally affective.

Answer 2

You do not want her eating right before bedtime, but it has been shown that a light snack an hour or so before going to bed can help sleep. Try to make sure she is not eating anything with sugar. A glass of water and some crackers/popcorn/pretzels/etc are good choices. Decaf tea is a good drink, but some children load it up with sugar or honey, and that is not good for before bed. There is no magic food that will help her sleep or fall asleep.

You need to set up a routine for her. Be sure she is going to bed and getting up at the same time every day(even on non-school days). Any type of routine will help, he body will begin to associate sleep with these activities she does, and she will be able to go to sleep better. For example a sleep routine could look something like this...

7:30pm - take a bath/shower

8:00pm - light snack

8:30pm - read(not in bed)

9:00pm - settle into bed with a relaxation cd

Some tips:

>Do not do anything in bed besides sleep, you want your mind to associate the bed with sleep.

>Do not eat anything heavy, caffeinated, or with sugar right before bed.

>Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

>Set up a solid sleep routine and stick to it.

>Do not keep a tv in your room or watch tv for two to three ours before bed.

>Keep the room dark, light blocking shades work well

>Do not nap during the day.

I have suffered from insomnia for a long time, and just recently began to implement the above to help me get to sleep. Some of the things that worked best for me were the relaxation tape(it was one that actually has me go through relaxations step(breathing, muscle tension, and positive imaging). I took my television out of the room and do nothing in the bed besides sleep. I also darkened the room with light blocking shades, and removed illuminated clocks.

It took a few weeks for my body to adjust and sleep at night, but I am now much better than I was. I can sleep through the night(where I was waking after a few hours), I can go to bed at a reasonable hour(I was up sometimes until 2-4am), I also no longer sleep during the day.

Answer 3

vodka.

Or uh...cough medicine.

Answer 4

Have her drink a glass of warm milk and cut off soda on week nights. Give her something she loves to make her full and groggy.

I really hoped I helped, I had the same problem and this always helped me.

Answer 5

everyone's already recommended foods.  is she also getting lots of exercise during the day? that can help a lot (but don't make the exercise too close to bedtime).  additionally, there's research that watching a screen (tv/ computer) too close to bedtime can cause insomnia in some people.  a number of common medications also have difficulty falling asleep as a side effect, so if she takes any daily medications you can check with the pharmacist and talk with the doctor about possibly switching her to an alternative medication.

Answer 6

If I read for about an hour I feel sleepy but if that doesn't work then play very boring music.

Answer 7

try meditation, nothing to buy and chemical free ,, start with the top of the head with your eyes closed and breath in through the nose out with the mouth by persing the lips move down to the toe and you'll be suprised how well any one will sleep I learned this in a cardio class after a heart attack and I sleep like a rock.

Answer 8

Have her try Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea.

She should go to bed at the same time every day. Only use the bedroom for sleep. Have the bedroom quiet and dark. Have a regular bedtime routine. Unwind for a while before bedtime. These are general suggestions for everyone.

Answer 9

wine    

or better try benadryl

Answer 10

umm i dont know about eatting or drinking.

but reading a couple chapters or a few pages helps me fall asleep.. so maybe try that.

Answer 11

I am 13 years old, and I have a terrible time falling asleep. I have tried these things and they help. [I visted a doctor that helps with sleeping, so this is where I got these suggestions from.]

I drink some warm milk, and I eat a snack [nothing with suger]

I also drink coffee, but don't try that with her. Coffee has a reverse affect with me [instead of making me hyper, I get very tired]

Set a bedtime, and stick to it if you haven't already. A bedtime [after a while of it] will tell her brain at that time, to go to sleep.

Also, stop all computer, tv, homework, music, and video games 40 - 30 minutes before her bedtime. Have her read, or play a board game or something instead. It will give her brain time to relax and calm down.

Answer 12

Catnip tea, and chamomile tea are great.  Catnip tea really helps me when I can't sleep.  Also, make sure she doesn't eat too late at night before bed time, as that will keep her up.

No chocolate or sugar too close to bedtime either.

You can also try to show her how to meditate a little.  This may sound hard, but it's so easy.  Tell her to lie down in bed, and breathe in through her nose, and out through her mouth.  Every time she exhales, she should feel her body sinking deeper into the bed.  Every time a though enters her mind, she should push it away, and say "I'll deal with this tomorrow..."  She'll fall asleep in just a few minutes.  She's probably just tense, and this is a good way to relax.

Good luck, I hope this helps.  :)

Answer 13

there are herbal teas for sleeping and there are natural sprays from a healthfood store for helping with leep

Answer 14

give her some hot chocolate before she goes to bed!!!

this always helps with  my daughter!!!

Answer 15

When I was a kid I usually could not fall to sleep because I was thinking about things and could not relax. It wasn't always because I was worried or upset. My mind just wouldn't stop going. Progressive relaxation helps because it keeps your mind focused.

Answer 16

Not a good idea to eat for at least an hour before bedtime.  Why dosn't she try reading for at least 1/2 an hour or so in bed or buy her a diary she can write in every night in bed.  By writing in a diary she can process the days events and it might help clear her mind a little.  Also try putting on softly a nice cd, like sounds of a rainforest, beach etc.  It used to work brilliantly for me.  Sweet dreams!

Answer 17

Have her try a glass of milk & a slice of toast, a bagel or muffin.  Not warm milk; that's an aquired taste that most people never get used to.

Also make sure her room's not too hot or too cold.  Try a bath before bed.  A shower's ok, but most aren't relaxing enough before bed.  Spraying lavendar and/or vanilla on her bedding can help too.  There are tons of sprays at Wal-Mart, Target, Bath & Body Works, etc for bedtime help.

Suggest she try to go to bed at the same time during the week.  That may help.  Also, reading a book may help to relax her.  Not a scary book though.  That may get her worked up instead.  

Music is another great choice.  Something like classical or instrumental is best.