Too Excited to Go to Sleep

I have this problem too, but mine is mostly menopausal induced. And it bothers me when I'm dealing with stressful situations or people.

Most of the time I am here on MP when I can't sleep! It helps break the cycle of what's running through my head. When I start to get sleepy, I put the computer down and go to bed. That helps me.

That being said, I don't think you should put her on the computer, LOL!

Instead, get her this book: A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Little-History-World-ebook/dp/B00...

It's easy enough to read that she will be willing to do it. It's not exciting enough to be riveting. It will teach her something while she's reading it. And it will do what MP does for me, breaking the cycle of not being able to stop thinking about what is bothering me.

Try this. I really think it will help.

Dawn

I would say that you are going to have to research Melatonin.

The house moms that work 5 days on/5 days off go home and they are so hyper aware of every sound that they can't turn their mind off. When they are on duty at the group home they don't sleep soundly, they are aware of almost every noise they hear so that if someone needs something during the night they can help them.

Most of them take Melatonin the first night they are off but still can't get a restful sleep. They take it the second night and they fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body, it is what puts us to sleep. If taken in the proper dose it is supposed to be safe. I have no idea how safe it is or not safe.

I picture blackness and breathe slowly. It keeps all the other thoughts out than keep jumping in and keep me awake. Maybe she could try a little yoga for relaxation too.

You both need to find a way to give her an outlet from competitions. She needs to be able to "get away" and have a life outside of it. Once she can get her mind off her upcoming performance, she might be able to sleep better. Also, as she gets older, she won't be so obessivie about it.

Growing up I was highly competitive and very obessive about it. Looking back, I wish I had an outlet when I got stuck on something, like winning the next game or pefecting a move. I too remember many sleepless nights. When I didn't perform the way I wanted, I know now it was from lack of sleep.

Good luck to her though...I love it when kids push themselves (but in a healthy way!).

I'm sorry this is happening! I do commend you for your concern about her safety.

Melatonin can work but I know friends whose kids fell asleep great with it once and it didn't work after that. I would focus more on her overall sleep routines than on giving her a pill (yes, even an all natural one) though if this persists you could sure try melatonin..

You mention that she normally goes to bed by 10:30 and wakes up at 9:00. I'm assuming this is not on school days, because that 9 a.m. wake-up sounds late for school unless maybe she's home-schooled? I would work to shift her normal (non-competition-day) sleep routine to an earlier bedtime and an earlier wake-up -- all the time. If she's trying to go to bed early just on nights before competitions, she has to fight not only the excitement but also the change to her normal schedule as well; alter the normal sleep hours and that will help with half the problem, perhaps.

She will not like the idea of shifting her normal bedtime to an earlier time! And it will take a while. She's a tween (I have one too) and their bodies are starting to hit that period when they naturally go to sleep later and sleep later in the mornings; that's why teenagers' body clocks are so different, and it's natural. But you could impress on her that if she is going to be in a competitive sport, she has to accept what comes with it,including a lifestyle that means she is rested enough.

Make a bit of time in the morning to go out in bright sunshine (eat breakfast outside) to reset her internal clock.
Benadryl does the trick for me. Generic is very cheap and it contains my allergies for a day.
I have been naming the states, alphabetically, to bore myself to sleep.

Does she normally train the afternoon/evening before a competition? I ask because my 10 yr old daughter always sleeps better when she's gotten a lot of exercise during the day, especially in the afternoon/evening.

If she hasn't trained, maybe take her to the gym or pool the night before and let her burn some energy. Or do a workout DVD or Just Dance in the early evening so she's pooped at bedtime.

being keyed up before a competition is normal. gads, i remember the crazy inability to sleep the night before a horse show!
but it seems as if it's becoming a debilitating problem for your daughter. your bedtime routine was a great idea and sounds perfect, but if it's not working, it's not working. you can't force someone to sleep, can you?
have you tried the tried and true, melatonin, calcium, lavender drops, valerian?
bachs flower essence sleep remedies?
if none of that works, you may have to cut down on the competitions. she may just really be over-stimulated.
khairete
S.