My 8 Year Won't Sleep Through the Night

You see a doctor to have his medical situation evaluated, and you work with someone qualified to look at the particular supplements you are giving and whether they even contain what the labels say they do (there were major news reports on places like GNC and Whole Foods that sold unregulated and bogus supplements). So I have no idea what "calming tablets" are - I work in food science and believe in quality supplements that are manufactured under the proper conditions and which carry patents, but I've taken a good friend to the hospital who messed up her blood pressure and heart rhythms by taking "all natural sleep aids."

If he "sees things" then you need to get to the bottom of that and see what his stress or anxiety levels are doing to him.

I can tell you now that he is totally sleep-deprived and that it has an effect on brain development and brain chemistry. Hard to say which is the chicken and which is the egg here, though.

I agree he shouldn't be in your bed. If that's helping him, then this sounds a lot like security and anxiety, perhaps on top of other things.

Our son has ADHD, and his doctor recommended melatonin, but i don't know anything about magnesium supplements or calming tablets, so ...

I'm just wondering if these are things your doctor suggestion or just things you've heard might help so you wanted to try. I would just really encourage you to call his doctor. You want to make sure you get some good advice from the doctor about which supplements might help and how much to give him and whether or not any of these might have side effects you weren't aware of or might end up not helping because they conflict with each other.

Definitely talk to your son's doctor. You want to make sure you get sound, medical advice on how best to help your son sleep. This isn't just about you being inconvinienced. Your son really does need to be getting more sleep

One of mine has always had a hard time falling asleep. The dr also recommended melatonin.

This child also on occasion (it will come in spurts) will wake in the night and he just appears kind of bewildered. He says he's had trouble sleeping. Usually I just have to say a few patient words, and he will go back to bed. The odd time he's too disturbed, and will climb in our bed. Then I have gotten out and slept in his bed. It's not that often, but when he was younger (around your son's age) it did come in clusters.

This son has a touch of anxiety at times. He saw a therapist a few times for the sleep - how to relax his body and mind. It helped a bit.

I find he has to unwind (mentally) before bed. Even if he watches a show with me or quiet time - it's good. If he's on electronics (like his ipad) right before bed, he doesn't seem to unwind.

Nighttime is when we (for the most part) contemplate our own exsistence, life, the universe & death. It's natural & normal for him to awake at his own pace. My suggestion, just invest in a good small low watt nightlight lamp so he can read or just flick it on when needed, a radio or sound machine might be a good idea too. When he comes to you & says he woke up or can't go back to sleep let him know that it's normal, he'll be alright, just take a minute, get a drink, go to the restroom, go back readjust your pillows, get comfy and try to go back to bed. A clock is almost a must for some people, just knowing the time can be enough comfort to return back to sleep b/c you know somewhere it's not time to wake up yet. *Amd some people, like myself have serious internal clocks & appreciate seeing the time. Do you guys have any pets? A big brave dog (our preference) at the end of the bed or one that's always positioned close to his room would help wonders too with strengthing his invisible safety net, even his own snuggle buddy of a kitty cat would be cool. Basically another living thing in his room w/him will give him automatic comfort even if it's subconsciously. He will continue to have sleep pattern interruptions his whole life, we all do.

Me personally would go easy on all those pills, not everyone's digestive system & nervous systems can truly take all that altering with ease, there is always internal adjustments, always, mentally or physically, usually both...even with the what might be seen as banine medications, like melatonin. Just my .02 cents, take it for what it's worth.

if he is too calm in the day he will be restless at night.. so make sure he is getting enough run around time.. i make my kids run the length of the yard (its a football field front to back 100 yds total) before dinner so they will have an appetite.. but i noticed if its raining and i don't make them then they have a harder time getting to sleep

It's a stage. Just take him back to bed and he'll get over it.

Make sure he's had a good snack before bed. If he's about to have that big growth spurt they have where they grow their adult feet, hands, ears, nose, teeth, etc...or where they shoot up to be pretty much their adult height and bone structure...those are CRAZY sleep stages. He could be getting hungry during the night is my point. He might not even realize he's hungry but that changes his chemicals that keep him asleep and paralyzed so he's not up acting out his dreams.

It could be bad dreams but you can do positive thinking things to set the mood for his going to sleep moments where he will have other things on his mind.

You can also find out if something is really bothering him to the point he needs reassurance you are there.

One thing we did was put a big pillow on one side of our boy's bed. It gave him the illusion that he was next to someone/something and he slept better.

Feeling warmth from someone is also reassuring. You could make a rice bag by putting some white long cooking rice in a white tube sock, about half full, and tying the end shut. Heat it up a minute and put it in the bed. Put it in the area his feet and knees are. If he hates his feet being hot or covered then put it near his back. I put an extra little blanket over that area to help retain the heat more.

At age 8, your son waking up should not have to mean YOU waking up. Encourage him to read quietly until he falls back asleep. Maybe he'll be tired the next day - but then, maybe that extra tiredness will help him sleep through the next night! It's not a great cycle but it might be "good enough".

it sure sounds to me like a medication issue. the fact that he doesn't take his ADHD meds on the weekends doesn't mean they're not still in his system.
i'd be very wary about giving him more meds to counteract the sleeplessness, and the nightmares or seeing things is very troubling.
this has got be addressed with a good medical professional.
khairete
S.