My Daughter Is Having Trouble Sleeping

Maybe it has just been the excitement from Christmas. See if it ends now that it is over. If not, it is going to show when she has to start back to school. Have you asked her what is bothering her or why she feels she can't sleep?
Is she sleeping during the day? Try keeping her up during the day so she will be sleepy at night? Also, maybe she is a night owl like you. If all else fails, go to the health food store and ask them if they have anything for an 8 yr old that will help her sleep at night. They probably have something there that is gentle, mild and safe without being perscription. Maybe if she took something for a week or two and got back on track again she would be alright. It is worth a shot.
Good luck and I hope she starts sleeping soon.

A., I have a similar problem with my nine yr old...I personally want to say, see the doctor and ask about the herbal remedies. I love herbals but keep in mind, we made synthetic (lab produced) drugs after finding their "real" drug uses from botanicals. Any herbals can still be dangerous esp when used by lighter wt and younger individuals.

I personally have tried to cut out caffiene, but noticed the past few nights I've had tea with my evening meal and now have trouble getting to sleep. Make sure her last 4-5 hours of fluids are only water. Milk has sugar and can cause problems in kids going to sleep. I know, mom used to give us warm milk to help us sleep and yes it can, but with some children, like my 9 yr old, any sugar will cause alertness. I blame myself, I was addicted to German Coca-cola when she was in the womb! LOL! Now she's very active.

You may even try getting her up no later than 8am. My children have been staying up late and sleeping in since school has let out, but in about 4 days we will be back to our usual schedule. I've studied where children need about 9 to 10 hours of sleep at night. Another thought is how much water is she drinking during the day? Mild dehydration can cause problems with your sleep cycle.

Something that I've tried over the past few months is a 15 minute journal. Each night, I have a pen and notebook by the bed. I write down everything that is on my mind during the 15min, including things I need to do the next day. It helps me to get things "out of my head" so I'm not laying there thinking about them all night! That may be more for adults than an 8 yr old, but it's worth a try. Hope all this helps! Nice warm tea (decaf) may help too. Good luck!

Schedule a physical for your daughter and rule out any medical reasons. When I had too much thyroid hormone in my system I had trouble sleeping.

One of my few regrets in life is not getting help for my daughters' sleep issues as soon as possible... the problem is... it seemed to not be possible. Doctors so often bypass the obvious. They don't take sleep problems seriously.

Even melatonin has different protocols for use depending on the issue. My older daughter eventually was sent to 3 different sleep specialists before one said--oh -- you have a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, and for YOU, instead of taking melatonin right before bed, you must take it 5-6 HOURS before bed. The first two specialists she saw blew her concerns off. One offered pharmaceutical sleep aids which didn't help--yet simple melatonin at the correct time for *her*, helped.

The younger daughter's sleep issues were more complicated. But again--they were not due to worry, and it took so many years to help her.

You may want to look here for a start (it has links): Sleep-A Critical Yet Under-addressed Component of Health at http://itsnotmental.blogspot.com/2008/07/sleep-critical-y...

Having a pediatrician/GP that keeps up with research is invaluable, because that really is the best resource.

Melatonin is helpful with promoting sleep without side effects.

Melatonin is also known as MEL. Melatonin is naturally produced in the body in response to the perception of light.

Melatonin has been used to ease insomnia, combat jet lag, protect cells from free-radical damage, boost the immune system, prevent cancer, and extend life.

Has your daughter started taking any new medications? Allergy meds, ADHD meds and some over the counter meds can cause children to not sleep.

If no to meds, is she getting enough play time? If she has not expended a lot of energy, she won't be all that tired.

Hopefully your daughter is sleeping better by now, but just in case she isn't I thought I would suggest a couple of things.

Before trying melatonin I would suggest trying to increase her natural production of melatonin. This includes making sure her room is very dark, no night lights, etc. Here is a good article - http://www.mercola.com/article/sleep.htm

Ask her what she is thinking about one night when she is still laying awake. Then talk to her about it or tap on acupressure points about it with EFT. www.emofree.com has a free little manual on EFT and www.tapping.com offers a free diagram.

I hope she is already sleeping well. :-)

I agree with the idea of going to the doctor. Make sure she is not having any medical problems, since there are so many things that can keep you awake at night. Also, when I was experiencing anxiety, I would lay awake "worrying" and just going through everything that I had said and done that day and what I should have done differently.

Has anything changed in her life recently? A move, new school, changes in family situation, planning an exciting event. Has a friend let her down or disappointed her? Is she going through early signs of puberty? (Hormone changes can mess you up in so may ways.)

Rule out any of these things or the other issues others have posted before medicating. It really could be a "phase" that will soon pass. Continue to monitor her and good luck.

Artificial ingredients (food dyes etc.) cause my daughter's hyperactivity and insomnia. Check out www.feingold.org. Feingold is a 30 yr old non-profit organization whose purpose is to inform the public about petroleum-based artificial ingredients in our food supply. These harmful additives cause ADD,ADHD,OCD and many other behavioral and physical side effects. Feingold is a leading authority on this subject and they have helped thousands of families over the years. Best wishes.

Try giving her melatonin 20 minutes before bedtime. Melatonin is what your body uses to fall asleep naturally, so it is not a drug. Start out with 5mg and go to 10mg if the 5mg does not work. It is perfectly safe and natural and you can get it over the counter at any drug store or Wal-Mart. Best wishes to you. Sweet dreams!!