Sleeping Issues w/7 yo Daughter

[chicksbestfriend]

Hi Em,
I am right there with you, I work in the mental health field and am very good at what I do, but often amazes me when the same type of issues arise at home, I become baffled on how to deal with the situation.

Sounds like to me that there is some form of anxieity going on which prevents her from going to sleep, or wanting to go to sleep, which she is also probably unaware of herself since she sounds well adjusted. I was a very well rounded child, grew up in a family pretty close to what you described, should of been no reason why I would/should have anxieties when it came time to sleep, but my mind just could not stop and I could not fall asleep without some sort of a focused stimulation. I was a very busy, but happy child. This went on from age 4 to about 7, and one day, those anxieities (the panic) was no longer a part of my inability to sleep. The communication with my parents was very open, but I could not and did not ever complain about those anxieties that I experienced in my childhood until my adult years. I too wasnt afraid to talk with my parents about anything, but I just thought that everyone had those feelings when they went to sleep. My parents admitted that they were clueless that I had any anxieties going on surrounding my sleeping behaviors as I did not display any signs. I am one of those people from very young age that doesnt require alot of sleep, I get by on 4-5 hours and am completely refreshed upon waking after what most might call, a hectic day. I would suggest to allow her to continue reading during the night until she is able to go to sleep, as long as it doesnt interfer with her social and academic life, I dont think there is much to worry about. If I were you, I would definitely take those naps so you are refreshed for work yourself, letting your daughter know that she can wake you up during your nap if she needs anything, you are just resting your eyes!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

my 3 year old is the same. my 5 and 7 year olds go right to bed and to sleep.... but she stays up and whispers to herself, or talks to stuffed animals, or wanders around.... she usually is asleep by 11, but gets up at 6am... and at 3, she really needs to be getting more sleep. so I've cut the power to her bedroom, no lights, no nothing, no ability to plug things in... (or electrocute herself).... and I put the baby gate back up, so she can't wander all over the house.... i assume it's a phase, and won't last forever... good luck!

 

[catnip]

I was exactly like that at her age. Her comment on "can't turn my brain off" really struck a chord with me. For me, it wasn't anxiety, or worry, or anything else bad. I had a good, stable family and no issues. I just thought all the time. I think it's a common thing in children who are above average. They just think more sometimes about everything they are learning and processing in their ever expanding knowledge base.

I often lay in bed for hours just thinking about new things I was learning and things I had experienced. As long as she doesn't suffer from sleep deprivation or get in to trouble or in danger, there's nothing wrong with her not sleeping as much as other children.

To this day, there are nights my brain just processes stuff. Plans, how I will build something, etc. I especially find my self doing this if I have had an un-stimulating day at work. Little brain work during the day leaves my brain working into the wee hours of the morning. The only problem now is that I'm 36, and less sleep effects me more than when I was a kid.

I knew a lady several years ago that had a similar situation with her daughter. Their arrangement was that if the daughter couldn't sleep, she could get out bed and go into her closet (it had a light) so she could read books until she felt sleepy. That way, her daughter didn't fret about not sleeping and the mother knew exactly where she would be if she wasn't in her bed. I thought that was a good compromise.

 

[vicki2x2]

How about some melatonin? It is a natural sleep aid.

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
That is my suggestion. My DS is almost 10 and he has the same issues. Just thinks and thinks and thinks, and if I let him watch TV that does not help, we found out. Melatonin is natural, and is not harmful, I checked with my chiropractor who is smart as a whip about this stuff and he said the protein whey is better, (good stuff not WM stuff) but the Melatonin is perfectly safe. It doesn't put you to sleep, it just relaxes you so you can. DS will even ask for it sometimes, because he knows it really does help him. He appears to be getting better about it so maybe age will help this.

 

[Tigerjane]

If she's not tired, this may just be a quirk of her personality. I was the same way, always had another scenario to act out with my dolls, or decided a song I was writing in my head all day needed to be written out, or I'd reenact a scene from TV to see if I could make the same facial expressions. Pointless stuff, but my mind was always going as a child. I was given the label "gifted" once I entered school, and they told my parents this was just one of those things that came along with the whole gifted deal. I was just too good at entertaining myself! lol She may develop anxiety about it if you put too much focus on it, and then it may become an issue instead of a phase. Again, as long as she's not overly tired, I'd just go with it. One of the things my gifted classes taught me, and worked great, was guided imagery. I would imagine blue skies, fluffy clouds, floating in a hot air balloon, and slowly releasing all of my muscles and letting myself be gently blown around by the wind. It also came in handy during stressful times, like before a performance or test time in school. I think it's a great tool to have, regardless. You also mentioned you stay up very late waiting for your husband. Perhaps she's feeding off of this, picking up on some anxiety on your part? Sounds like you're doing all the right things though!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I personally would not be giving a child sleep aids of any sort. A noise machine or a very quiet radio might help. Getting rid of the night lights might help (I cannot sleep at night is there is ANY artificial light at all.

Give her some very quiet activities: books, writing, drawing available and a rule that she must stay in her bed except to go to the bathroom. Not just her room, but her bed. Also give her permission to come to you if she feels like she needs or wants to. This will give you peace of mind so that you can sleep (once you have ascertained that she is following the rule of staying in her bed).

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I was the same way as a child. On top of being a night owl, my brain went 90 miles an hour. Still does some nights. At some point in my childhood I learned coping skills. It really is like turning my brain off. For me, it was storytelling. I made up fantastic stories and would continue to weave them until I fell asleep. I made a point to STOP thinking of all the things swirling around my head and focus instead on this story I was telling myself. It has worked for almost 40 years now.

Perhaps talk to her and teach her ways to refocus her brain. She sounds like a smart kid. She just needs to learn some self-calming skills.

Good luck. It is a hard life for us night owls anyway. The daytime world just doesn't understand.

 

[nonseq]

Melatonin isn't really a sleep aid. It's a naturally occurring hormone that regulates certain bodily functions in humans. It's produced by the pineal gland. It regulates circadian rhythm functions. Even things as minor as artificial lighting or blue (TVs and computers) lighting can throw off our natural circadian rhythm.

 

[The Tinman]

Has anybody thought of diet or maybe she sleeps at some other time. This is a problem I had with my Teenage daughter. She would take a nap after school befor we got home from work. Then she would stay up all night studying or what ever. She also likes to chow on sweets. Just a thought