getting to sleep
24hrmom
My eldest son Joseph (11) has taken a long time to fall asleep ever since I can remember. He was the only kid I knew that went to sleep with his eyes open ... once they were closed you knew he was asleep! Up until a few months ago I would lay with him, give him a soft backrub etc until he fell asleep but since puberty hit his internal clock has shifted and he stays up much later than I do (usually 3-4am), and no longer asks me to lay with him.
He asks me on and off why he has such trouble falling asleep, and I've given him all the tips I can think of .. soothing warm baths, herbal tea, TV noise in the background, reading and none have helped. A while ago I asked if he'd like to me to look at the health food store for something to help, but he said no ... he does not like to take any kind of "medicine". Last night, or should I say this morning, I found him wandering the house trying to tire himself out to get to sleep ... he had tried but had gotten back up again. He asked me to get him some warm milk and some herbal tea!
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
He asks me on and off why he has such trouble falling asleep, and I've given him all the tips I can think of .. soothing warm baths, herbal tea, TV noise in the background, reading and none have helped. A while ago I asked if he'd like to me to look at the health food store for something to help, but he said no ... he does not like to take any kind of "medicine". Last night, or should I say this morning, I found him wandering the house trying to tire himself out to get to sleep ... he had tried but had gotten back up again. He asked me to get him some warm milk and some herbal tea!
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Dawn Blum
Is he physically tired and mentally awake? If he is then meditation might
help. But if its the other way around you might suggest and evening run or
exercise routine.
Below is a a simple guide to meditation that is very helpful
HYPERLINK
"http://hinduism.about.com/library/howto/ht-meditate.htm"http://hinduism.abo
ut.com/library/howto/ht-meditate.htm
Also you might try Yoga to help with both problems.
�
Hope this helps!
Dawn
�
-----Original Message-----
From: 24hrmom [mailto:24hrmom@...]
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 8:42 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] getting to sleep
My eldest son Joseph (11) has taken a long time to fall asleep ever since I
can remember.� He was the only kid I knew that went to sleep with his eyes
open ...� once they were closed you knew he was asleep!� Up until a few
months ago I would lay with him, give him a soft backrub etc until he fell
asleep but since puberty hit his internal clock has shifted and he stays up
much later than I do (usually 3-4am), and no longer asks me to lay with him.
He asks me on and off why he has such trouble falling asleep, and I've given
him all the tips I can think of .. soothing warm baths, herbal tea, TV noise
in the background, reading and none have helped.� A while ago I asked if
he'd like to me to look at the health food store for something to help, but
he said no ... he does not like to take any kind of "medicine".� Last night,
or should I say this morning, I found him wandering the house trying to tire
himself out to get to sleep ... he had tried but had gotten back up again.�
He asked me to get him some warm milk and some herbal tea!
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a
voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed.� Something that would give him a feeling of
more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ...
anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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help. But if its the other way around you might suggest and evening run or
exercise routine.
Below is a a simple guide to meditation that is very helpful
HYPERLINK
"http://hinduism.about.com/library/howto/ht-meditate.htm"http://hinduism.abo
ut.com/library/howto/ht-meditate.htm
Also you might try Yoga to help with both problems.
�
Hope this helps!
Dawn
�
-----Original Message-----
From: 24hrmom [mailto:24hrmom@...]
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 8:42 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] getting to sleep
My eldest son Joseph (11) has taken a long time to fall asleep ever since I
can remember.� He was the only kid I knew that went to sleep with his eyes
open ...� once they were closed you knew he was asleep!� Up until a few
months ago I would lay with him, give him a soft backrub etc until he fell
asleep but since puberty hit his internal clock has shifted and he stays up
much later than I do (usually 3-4am), and no longer asks me to lay with him.
He asks me on and off why he has such trouble falling asleep, and I've given
him all the tips I can think of .. soothing warm baths, herbal tea, TV noise
in the background, reading and none have helped.� A while ago I asked if
he'd like to me to look at the health food store for something to help, but
he said no ... he does not like to take any kind of "medicine".� Last night,
or should I say this morning, I found him wandering the house trying to tire
himself out to get to sleep ... he had tried but had gotten back up again.�
He asked me to get him some warm milk and some herbal tea!
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a
voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed.� Something that would give him a feeling of
more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ...
anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Kimberly Fry
My son kinda goes through stages where he'll have difficulty falling asleep. What works best for him is the same routine each night. (This is only done when he's having a hard time for a few nights in a row.) What he usually does is choose a time (same time each night) to go to bed, lights go down low, hot chocolate, I read to him or he reads to himself (something light and entertaining), CD with thunderstorms on it playing once he lays down. Sometimes he'll ask for his back to be rubbed. Generally he just concentrates on relaxing his body while he listens to the CD. He starts at his toes (each one individually) and works his way up from there. He's asleep before he finishes.
24hrmom <24hrmom@...> wrote:
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
24hrmom <24hrmom@...> wrote:
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of a good one?
Pam L
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/30/03 08:43:50 AM Central Daylight Time,
24hrmom@... writes:
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a
voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more
control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of
a good one?
Pam L
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I suffer from insomnia too. For years, I worked nights (10p to 6a, or 11p to
7a) as a nurse. I always worked nights because, one I was up anyway, and two,
when Moly was a baby it saved us daycare costs. Aside from that, ever since I
can remember I have had a hard time falling asleep, and will wake up if I
manage to go to sleep before 2am. I've tried all sorts of things. I have at
desperate times, stayed awake for two or three days just so I could try to get my
body on a more natural pattern with the rest of the world. Still on that third
or fourth night, exhausted, I will wake up in the middle of the night anyway.
I've even tried going to a sleep disorder clinic, I've taken medication, tried
biofeedback, music, sleeping in different places, cutting caffeine out of my
diet, the list is never ending. Regardless, if your son can stand to sleep
during nontraditional sleep hours, and you don't mind either, then why not let his
body get the sleep it needs then. I understand the disruption, you have to or
want to go somewhere, he is just falling asleep. His pacing the house at all
hours trying to get to sleep isn't healthy either. It puts unnecessary stress
on him due to the worry. If you don't mind doing things with him later in the
day/afternoon and letting him stay at home on the days you have things to do
outside of the house, the give it a shot. Let him develop his own natural sleep
patterns. As a teen and adult, he can get jobs working later, he can go to
college (if that is what he wants) during nontraditional hours too. Most offer
evening classes. His world will not come to an end if he is a day sleeper. <g>
He will have to adjust to the majority of the world working on that typical 9
to 5 ;o) but he can, like many do, manage a full life. It is my opinion that
it is more unhealthy to force himself to be like the rest of the world, getting
less/no sleep, than it would be for him to just give into what his body is
trying to tell him. Some people are just night people. If he really has true
insomnia, (that is me, if I get two hours, I'm doing good) and can't sleep at
all, no matter what time of day/night it is, then I highly recommend a sleep
clinic. Although it didn't help me, much, I did learn some things about my sleep
needs, and that has gone a long way toward a more healthy life. My own opinion
about medication is that, although there are a few that have actually given me
sleep, they also make me suffer from more troubling nightmares and when I do
wake up, I am groggy, loopy, headachy, and that lasts for hours. On top of all
that, medication has only ever given me an additional two or three hours of
(restless) sleep. To me, that is not worth the trade off.
~Nancy
He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered
whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.
Douglas Adams
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
24hrmom@... writes:
Does anyone have any other ideas?
I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and a
voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more
control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know of
a good one?
Pam L
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I suffer from insomnia too. For years, I worked nights (10p to 6a, or 11p to
7a) as a nurse. I always worked nights because, one I was up anyway, and two,
when Moly was a baby it saved us daycare costs. Aside from that, ever since I
can remember I have had a hard time falling asleep, and will wake up if I
manage to go to sleep before 2am. I've tried all sorts of things. I have at
desperate times, stayed awake for two or three days just so I could try to get my
body on a more natural pattern with the rest of the world. Still on that third
or fourth night, exhausted, I will wake up in the middle of the night anyway.
I've even tried going to a sleep disorder clinic, I've taken medication, tried
biofeedback, music, sleeping in different places, cutting caffeine out of my
diet, the list is never ending. Regardless, if your son can stand to sleep
during nontraditional sleep hours, and you don't mind either, then why not let his
body get the sleep it needs then. I understand the disruption, you have to or
want to go somewhere, he is just falling asleep. His pacing the house at all
hours trying to get to sleep isn't healthy either. It puts unnecessary stress
on him due to the worry. If you don't mind doing things with him later in the
day/afternoon and letting him stay at home on the days you have things to do
outside of the house, the give it a shot. Let him develop his own natural sleep
patterns. As a teen and adult, he can get jobs working later, he can go to
college (if that is what he wants) during nontraditional hours too. Most offer
evening classes. His world will not come to an end if he is a day sleeper. <g>
He will have to adjust to the majority of the world working on that typical 9
to 5 ;o) but he can, like many do, manage a full life. It is my opinion that
it is more unhealthy to force himself to be like the rest of the world, getting
less/no sleep, than it would be for him to just give into what his body is
trying to tell him. Some people are just night people. If he really has true
insomnia, (that is me, if I get two hours, I'm doing good) and can't sleep at
all, no matter what time of day/night it is, then I highly recommend a sleep
clinic. Although it didn't help me, much, I did learn some things about my sleep
needs, and that has gone a long way toward a more healthy life. My own opinion
about medication is that, although there are a few that have actually given me
sleep, they also make me suffer from more troubling nightmares and when I do
wake up, I am groggy, loopy, headachy, and that lasts for hours. On top of all
that, medication has only ever given me an additional two or three hours of
(restless) sleep. To me, that is not worth the trade off.
~Nancy
He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered
whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.
Douglas Adams
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/30/03 7:42:49 AM, 24hrmom@... writes:
<< I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and
a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more
control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know
of a good one? >>
Jim Weiss has a sleep tape with stories about going to an exciting place,
doing something physical, and then having hot chocolate (or something) and then
it describes the bed, so soft... Very soothing to me, but Holly didn't ever
like it.
Holly just saidthat last night she read until she got tired, then she turned
off the light and listened to Fred Astaire until she turned asleep, but
usually she plays Gameboy, and then reads, and then ends with music.
I asked Holly because she's the one here who takes a long, long time to fall
asleep.
Sandra
<< I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and
a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of more
control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ... anyone know
of a good one? >>
Jim Weiss has a sleep tape with stories about going to an exciting place,
doing something physical, and then having hot chocolate (or something) and then
it describes the bed, so soft... Very soothing to me, but Holly didn't ever
like it.
Holly just saidthat last night she read until she got tired, then she turned
off the light and listened to Fred Astaire until she turned asleep, but
usually she plays Gameboy, and then reads, and then ends with music.
I asked Holly because she's the one here who takes a long, long time to fall
asleep.
Sandra
Marjorie Kirk
Sandra wrote:
have tried to lay down with my kids and listen to them, and they always put
me to sleep! I saw an advertisement for a CD called the Delta Sleep
Sysytem, or something similar. It was in the One Spirit book club flier.
Has anyone tried it?
Both of my boys sometimes have trouble falling asleep. My oldest will lay
in bed for hours awake, but he doesn't mind. He likes to think. Sometimes
when one of the other kids have a class, or I have a meeting to go to, I'll
ask him to find something to bring to entertain himself with. He usually
says he doesn't need anything, he'll just think. The other son will come
downstairs when he can't sleep and tell me that his brain is all tangled up,
or his thoughts are swimming around in his head. I've tried helping him
meditate or consciously tightening and releasing his muscles. That seems to
help. Recently I took him for some energy work, and that has helped
immensely, both with his being able to sleep, and with his general attitude.
Marjorie
> >then
> Jim Weiss has a sleep tape with stories about going to an exciting place,
> doing something physical, and then having hot chocolate (or something) and
> it describes the bed, so soft... Very soothing to me, but Holly didn'tever
> like it.Jim actually has two sleep-inducing tapes: Sweet dreams and Good Night. I
>
have tried to lay down with my kids and listen to them, and they always put
me to sleep! I saw an advertisement for a CD called the Delta Sleep
Sysytem, or something similar. It was in the One Spirit book club flier.
Has anyone tried it?
Both of my boys sometimes have trouble falling asleep. My oldest will lay
in bed for hours awake, but he doesn't mind. He likes to think. Sometimes
when one of the other kids have a class, or I have a meeting to go to, I'll
ask him to find something to bring to entertain himself with. He usually
says he doesn't need anything, he'll just think. The other son will come
downstairs when he can't sleep and tell me that his brain is all tangled up,
or his thoughts are swimming around in his head. I've tried helping him
meditate or consciously tightening and releasing his muscles. That seems to
help. Recently I took him for some energy work, and that has helped
immensely, both with his being able to sleep, and with his general attitude.
Marjorie
Tia Leschke
> Both of my boys sometimes have trouble falling asleep. My oldest will laySometimes
> in bed for hours awake, but he doesn't mind. He likes to think.
> when one of the other kids have a class, or I have a meeting to go to,I'll
> ask him to find something to bring to entertain himself with. He usuallyup,
> says he doesn't need anything, he'll just think. The other son will come
> downstairs when he can't sleep and tell me that his brain is all tangled
> or his thoughts are swimming around in his head. I've tried helping himto
> meditate or consciously tightening and releasing his muscles. That seems
> help. Recently I took him for some energy work, and that has helpedattitude.
> immensely, both with his being able to sleep, and with his general
My boy doesn't often have trouble sleeping, but when he does I usually tell
him to stop trying to sleep. Then he goes to sleep quite quickly. <g>
Tia
leschke@...
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where
there is no path and leave a trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Mary
My son, also a Joseph has a really hard time sleeping. He's like me
unfortunately when it comes to that. When I was younger I had my mom put on
albums for me when I went to sleep. Same ones all the time. I generally made
it through 3 or 4 and then fell asleep. Once in awhile all of them would
play and I was still awake. But the music for me helped a lot. Nothing much
seems to help Joseph and when we have places to go the next day, him staying
up isn't always a good option. He is taking, once in awhile, Calms Forte and
it's really working for him. He just takes one pill and it relaxes his mind
enough to where he can fall asleep.
Mary B.
http://www.homeschoolingtshirts.com
unfortunately when it comes to that. When I was younger I had my mom put on
albums for me when I went to sleep. Same ones all the time. I generally made
it through 3 or 4 and then fell asleep. Once in awhile all of them would
play and I was still awake. But the music for me helped a lot. Nothing much
seems to help Joseph and when we have places to go the next day, him staying
up isn't always a good option. He is taking, once in awhile, Calms Forte and
it's really working for him. He just takes one pill and it relaxes his mind
enough to where he can fall asleep.
Mary B.
http://www.homeschoolingtshirts.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "24hrmom" <24hrmom@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 9:41 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] getting to sleep
> My eldest son Joseph (11) has taken a long time to fall asleep ever since
I can remember. He was the only kid I knew that went to sleep with his eyes
open ... once they were closed you knew he was asleep! Up until a few
months ago I would lay with him, give him a soft backrub etc until he fell
asleep but since puberty hit his internal clock has shifted and he stays up
much later than I do (usually 3-4am), and no longer asks me to lay with him.
>
> He asks me on and off why he has such trouble falling asleep, and I've
given him all the tips I can think of .. soothing warm baths, herbal tea, TV
noise in the background, reading and none have helped. A while ago I asked
if he'd like to me to look at the health food store for something to help,
but he said no ... he does not like to take any kind of "medicine". Last
night, or should I say this morning, I found him wandering the house trying
to tire himself out to get to sleep ... he had tried but had gotten back up
again. He asked me to get him some warm milk and some herbal tea!
>
> Does anyone have any other ideas?
>
> I've been imagining a CD or tape with soothing music in the background and
a voice going through some relaxation and breathing exercises that he could
listen to when he goes to bed. Something that would give him a feeling of
more control over the situation, but I haven't come across one yet ...
anyone know of a good one?
>
> Pam L
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> To unsubscribe from this send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
Kimberly Fry
One thing I forgot to mention that we've done at times to help Andy go to sleep is to just go for a drive. This is usually when he can't stop thinking about something. We'd just get on the highway and make a loop around town. It doesn't work as well for him staying on the city streets with lights every mile. After thirty minutes he'd be relaxed enough that he'd be able to go to sleep. Sometimes I'd have to wake him up to go back inside.
Kim
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Kim
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]