9 Year Old Staying up Late

Hi, I too had a horrible time falling asleep as a child. I would often be up until 2:00 am just thinking. I grew out of it only after becoming sleep deprived as a result of having 4, soon-to-be 5 kiddos of my own. As a teenager, listening to music helped a bit (I had to experiment with different kinds before I found some that helped). I now have a 7-yr-old exactly like this. None of my other 3 children have trouble falling asleep. The only thing I have found that has helped him is to give him books on CD to listen to. My son still stays awake much later than I would like him to, but at least he is almost always asleep by 9:30-10:00, instead of 11:30-12:00 like it used to be. I hope this helps a little bit. Good luck! S.

Kids have a "window of oppertunity" when it comes to sleep. Once you pass that it's harder to get them down. Try putting him to bed earlier (maybe just 30 minutes)

You have a little night owl! So do I! We just let him be. It is who he is and, unfortunately, there is not much you can do about it. We cut all artificial stuff out of his diet and that has helped alot. He is not wound up at bed time.

I am sure you are you are doing the typical no caffeine and limit sugar before bed. Also, maybe begin the process a little earlier?

Good Luck! Really try eliminating the artificial stuff. It is hard, but it helps!

While agreeing with all those who confirm that there is such a thing as a night owl, I wonder if concern over bedwetting is affecting him? My grandson is so much happier since my daughter bought him one of those moisture triggered alarms. It took only 2 weeks and he stopped wetting. This did a lot for his self esteem. Also cheaper than goodnights in the long run.
You could also teach him how to concentrate on his breathing. Breathe in while counting silently then breathe out while counting. The goal is that the out breaths take longer than the in. If he had 10 in and 14 out, try to breathe more slowly, 11 in and 16 out. The concentration and slower breathing are often sleep inducing. You would have to count for him until he learns this trick. Hope it works for him as a sleep deprived kid is a grumpy kid.
K.

Hi J.,
9 is a little young for insomnia- are you sure nothing is troubling him....ike school or something there-
You might want to check what he is eating in the afternoon that could be triggering something there......
I had a son who did the same thing- then he wanted to sleep all day''''''since it has only been happening recently I would first check his diet ...then I would check wit the school to see if there is an issue there that you do not know about......however, since school will soon be out for the summer I would watch for other behavior signs that may alert you to the issue- and watch what he eats or drinks in the afternoons- something there could be causing him not to be sleepy.
good luck and blessings

I bet he is going through a growing spurt. It would be great if he could figure out a way to put himself to sleep.
Maybe he needs a fan blowing on him and a sound machine or books on tape.

Around this age our daughter started staying up late. She would read till 12:00 or 1:00 am. We made a deal that as long as she would get up in the morning without complaint, she could continue to do this.

It worked out fine. She would read in bed and then she had a sound machine or books on tape (Harry Potter) she would use to help calm her mind. She is in college now and says she stays up till 2 or 3 am.. she says she gets some of her best work done late.

We all have different internal clocks, called "circadian rhythms" and some people's bodies are not as in tune with daylight cycles as would be hoped. My brother is like this, too. He is a night owl and has a hard time with mornings. It has been a struggle for him since he was a small child. He is a very productive, highly intellegent adult who makes tons of money and has a wonderful family,.

He's just a little different that way, but he has adapted to life just fine. I'm sure your son will be fine, too.

If it is a huge issue, I would consult with his doctor. Most of us are sensitive to blue light wavelengths and those of us who are not have a harder time regulating our sleep rhythms by the sun. Babies who were oxygen-deprived during childbirth sometimes suffer from a lack of blue light sensitivity, if I'm not mistaken. Talk to his pedi about it. I would keep him off of sleep drugs. They know some of the effects of these meds (like putting him to sleep) but certainly not all of them. He will learn to adapt.

Peace to you.

I was very much like that as a child. My parents would put me to bed at 9 and I would watch the clock until at least 11. I wasn't allowed to read, so I'd attempt to read in the dark so they wouldn't catch me. It was hard to wake up most mornings, but putting me to bed earlier didn't get me to fall asleep any earlier (because I still wouldn't have been allowed to read!).

I never grew out of it. As an adult, I still have these issues. I sit up in bed and read before sleeping and that usually helps. I do get very anxious at night for some reason, and I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Reading helps me relax. I have to get very relaxed in order to let myself fall asleep. Trying to read on the sly did not relax me (I was more anxious for fear of getting caught).

Insomnia literature says to read in a different room, but that doesn't work for me--my ultra-relaxed state is disturbed if I have to get up for any reason, including to get off the couch and go to bed!

No one else in my family had this problem. My sister could fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

I don't know if anxiety has anything to do with it for your son, but if it does, then I know that trying to force him to fall asleep will not help at all.

If he's comfortable reading before bed, you might consider having him get in bed a few minutes earlier with a small lamp next to his bed so he can read for a little while. (the lamp is necessary if getting up to turn off the light wakes him up too much). Have him create his relaxed state and trust him, and see if it works. If he's reading too long, and can't get up in the morning, have him start a little earlier the next week.

Good luck! I'm glad you're looking into this now. My mom says that she regrets how they did my bedtime, as she has learned over time that this is just part of me and any type of punishment, threatening, etc., was not going to change it.

I am now blessed with a daughter who is a good sleeper, but we aren't done having kids yet, so we'll see...

Preteens (yes, you have one) begin to change in brain development & biologically, and sleep cycle changes can be part of that. My girl is almost 18, and when she was 12--and to this day--she has been wakeful until well after midnight most nights and difficult to wake for school as well. Some dietary shifts had to happen, i.e. no chocolate or caffeinated beverages, even iced tea, after 6pm. I made turkey dishes for dinner more often (tryptophan, a natural sleep aid). I never gave her melatonin, and I understand it can help. She manages her own schedule now, and she uses white noise or the ceiling fan to help.

I echo what other have said about how he is starting some of the growth related changes with hormones, etc.

What came to my mind though is that in addition to maybe just being somewhat of a night owl, he may be needing to process his day with someone. If he is busy during the day and after school with activities, then family time, he may need some one-on-one time with mom or dad to tell you the amazing, funny, scary, aggravating things from his day. With the whole family around he may not be getting this. It might be worth a try to have that at bedtime.

Another concern is all that goes in to a body that interferes with our natural rhythms. We all know to limit caffine and sugar, but you might try watching artificial sweeteners,food coloring and starches, too.

My other thought is that he might need a few minutes of reading time to get ready to sleep. Try rewarding him with reading time... let him have 15 minutes every night, then if he's getting up and not being grumpy in the morning tell him he can have an extra 5 minutes at night.

My 11 year old nephew does the same thing. I will make sure he has his shower and put make sure he is in his bed around 9:30. He is usually up until 12 or sometimes later. When I wake him up he is occasionally grumpy. He does take a nap maybe once a week to get caught up on his sleep I guess. I have no idea what to do either. I am just thankful that summer is almost here.

I realize this was asked a week ago, but I wanted to share that I have always had a hard time falling asleep, and I always managed when I was younger b/c I could survive on little sleep! But since getting a little older and having 2 kids (especially the older one being in school now!) I had to learn to get myself to sleep quicker! The 2 things that help me are a fan (for the white noise, b/c I'm a very light sleeper, and small noises hinder me falling asleep easily...and because I cannot fall asleep if my feet are hot! LOL sounds odd, but true!) and also someone else mentioned focusing on breathing. This helps me a lot! I actually use a little bit of visualization also to help clear my mind. I tend to think a lot while laying in bed! I will focus on taking deep, long breaths and actually visualize the words "IN" and "OUT" while breathing. This way, I calm my thoughts and force out anything else except the breathing and these 2 words, which relaxes me just enough to fall asleep.
I hope your son finds what works for him =)

Dear J., I believe your son is experiencing that change in his body, hormons, mind body and soul you might say. Do this for a week or 2 and see if it helps him: Have the ceiling fan running, put some light music in the background, sit and rub his back for just a few minutes talking with him about anything that isn't too stimulating but pleasant, fun. In a short time he will condition himself to unwind with just the music and fan. And J. I think he'll always remember his Mom doing that for him and the peaceful love he felt. God bless your family.

Does he have access to chocolate or sodas? Maybe he is sneaking a little. My 9 year old loves to hide her stash in her room. A chocolate shake at Chili's one night for dinner with her Dad kept her up to 11 PM.

I also read or saw something on the news about no TV before bedtime. Even though it seems to chill the kids out, the opinion was that TV is a stimulant and kids should not watch it for at least an hour before bedtime.

I am sure you are doing everything right. Just throwing in my 2 cents!

Hi, J.! We had the same problem with our eldest son and the doctor put him on some prescription medicine. I finally heard about meletonin, it is herbal and natural and not addictive. When I learned about it I weaned my son off the prescription med. and now he is on meletonin and seems much happier. He takes two 1mg tablets just before bed and they dissolve under his tongue. Hope this helps!
You may also want to ask him if anything is going on at school that is making him uncomfortable. Sometimes we think they are telling us everything and they aren't. Maybe something that could be causing some anxiety.

it sounds to me maybe you should take him and get a dr opionion i have the same issue with my 9 yr old but he is adhd so when his medication wears off he's like a kid on speed we do not let him drink anything but water @7 and nothing sweet my dr gave me a prescription to help calm him so he can get the rest he needs but we dont use it best of luck

I use melatonin to help my 8 year old son fall asleep and his doctor says it's okay to use on children. I give him one pill that is 300 mcg about an hour before bedtime.

J.
Gold Canyon Candles Senior Demonstrator
Usborne Books & More Consultant

Another home remedy you can try is 2 Tablespoons of Cherry juice. Make sure it is 100% cherries..once again there is something in the cherries that is suppose to stimulate sleep.

My son is the same way as yours he will be up looking at books or talking to himself until 10 or 11pm. He goes to bed at 8:30pm. I tried Calms4Kids, a homeopathic sleep aid, but it didn't do much...I haven't tried melatonin (sp) like some others suggest. (But I might go back to Sun Harvest and look for some for kids).

Cherry juice doesn't work every night but it is the best thing I have found so far.

If you find something that is a for sure wonder...please message me...my son needs it too!!

You could also try turkey before bed. The meletonin in it could help him fall asleep. I know they make melatonin pills for adults, but I am not certain if these are ok for kids or not. I have alot of trouble sleeping and the pills have helped a good bit.

good luck,
R.
roxannebruce.pureromance.com

Some people are just night owls by nature. I never fell asleep before 11pm - midnight as a young child and still don't to this day. Try putting him to bed 1/2 hour earlier to see if it's a missed window of sleep. If that doesn't work, he's probably just a night owl.

My 11-year-old son does this as well. Have you had him tested for gifted and talented at school? Everything you mentioned (including bed wetting in some kids) are attributes seen in gifted children. Just a thought.

J.:

I can't offer any suggestion on the sleep issue, but I can offer something regarding the bed wetting. My sons both had this problem where they were extrememly heavy sleepers once they fell asleep and would wet the bed. No, they didn't drink too much too late, no they didn't have too much milk or a milk allergy, no they weren't lazy, yes we tried waking them up at night, yes we made them change their own sheets. Needless to say, we heard it all and only ended up sleep deprived ourselves.

I finally called our pediatrician who recommended a device called the Potty Pager. It is a silent alarm that vibrates the second it feels moisture. I have no clue how it worked but it did and I'm thrilled to say that almost a year later, we've only had one accident. Considering we were originally washing sheets on a daily basis between the two boys, that has been a blessing and a savings.

The pager cost about $75. You can use their batteries or your own. We only had to replace them once. It has really made a difference in my sons' attitudes knowing they can control their bladder at night. You can find them at http://www.pottypager.com/.

This may not resolve all your issues but it's at least one battle that you can put behind you.

Best of luck,

B.