Sleep issues, 10 year old daughter

Barbara - posted on 08/14/2009

Keep the lines of communication open She may be just reaching that stage of physical development but there could be other issues with her friends Self image is very important at this stage and someones off hand comment about something trivial could have a huge impact on her Get into a good night time routine bathtime and winding down time like reading with or to her Keep talking to her and when she is ready she will tell you what the problem is Hope it works out for you both Best of luck

MELISSA - posted on 08/13/2009

Is she on any medication? My 10 year old is on a med for ADHA and it keeps her from sleeping. She has a bed time pill now to help her rest. But I do notice the pre-puberty is starting as well and even with the medice she still has some troubles. I would talk to the dr and see what they think And they will tell you more fruits and veggies too. LOL they just told me the same thing. Good luck

Melanie - posted on 08/12/2009

I wouldn't be too concerned about her not wanting to change in front of you. My daughter feels the same way and I can remember going through that with my mother when I was at that age. She's just shy and maybe a little embarassed about the changes her body is going through. She might be using the "I'm too fat" thing as an excuse.



As far as the bedtime problems go, it sounds like anxiety about something. I don't know what your usual bedtime routine is, but maybe you can allow for an additional 10-20 minutes where you can talk about the day. With my kids I usually just ask them what happened that was good and if there was anything that was bad. When you are specific (instead of "how was your day?") you will get a more specific answer.



If she does have body image problems, that might stem from other girls. My daughter is always being told that she is too skinny. One girl even told her she wasn't big enough to be a person. You never know what might have struck a nerve with her. Just keep the lines of communication open with her and hopefully she'll open up to you soon and can finally get a good nights rest.



Good Luck!

Leigh Anne - posted on 08/11/2009

My 11-yr. old daughter has been suffering some kind of separation anxiety at night for almost two years now. After the first very difficult year of it, a teacher suggested using walkie-talkies. We would leave one with my daughter at bedtime, so that she could call us if she needed us (which she never did!!!!) -- but it gave her the security to stay in bed and relax.

Then she was diagnosed with asthma. Once her lungs were treated and she could breathe fine, there was no longer that panic at bedtime. We think a subconscious fear of shortness of breath might have been the first trigger for the bedtime panic. Walkie-talkies were never needed again for the following year.

And then there's now. For some reason, a month ago, the bedtime panic started again. She's starting middle-school this year, so maybe it's anxiety again?? Subconscious fear?? We don't know, but this time, I'm going to enlist the help of a recommended therapist!! I'll post anything more I learn after the apt. next week.

Pamela - posted on 08/09/2009

my girls are 11 and had same issue w/ 1 does sound like pre puberty. try to change her diet no junk food and more fruits and veggies if that doesnt help take her to Dr.