Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

9yr old daughter having problems sleeping

I need help.  my 9 year old daughter has been having problems sleeping for over 5 weeks now.  i talked to her counselor to give me advise, we even took her to the doctor because she complains every night that her stomach aches.  she will get up at least five times at night and sometimes more ssaying that she cannot go to sleep.  my husband and i talk to her to see if anything is wrong, finally we have nothing, no sleep and stress.  she told us tonight that she hates herself for not falling as sleep because she knows she is tired and and she knows she bothers us, but just can not go to sleep.  we have tried massages, stretches, reading and her sleeping with us or with her little sister and nothing.  any suggestions?  please help me help her.  thank you.
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I would check your daughter's diet, and also consider getting her tested for Celiac disease.

Celiac disease is, simply, a reaction to gluten (wheat, rye, barley, or oats). About 1/3 of the population have the genes for it. About 1 in 133 have the disease trigger in their bodies, at any age. The symptoms that used to be looked for were the runs, stomach pains, and low weight gain or dropping weight.

Now, they know this is just the tip of the ice berg. However, medical texts were only recently changed to reflect this, so unless your doctor is an expert in the disease, he or she will usually not recognize possible signs. And may argue with you that your child can't possibly have celiac disease.

They're wrong. Right now, silent celiac disease is growing in the population. I'd really see if you can get your little one tested. Of if you don't have insurance and can't pay for the tests, just google the gluten free diet - that's all that's required to eliminate the damage done by the disease. No drugs for this, just diet change.

with celiac disease, depression is a common symptom. So is insomnia and anxiety. Mainly because the disease attacks and damages the gut, the gut doesn't digest food properly, and so the brain can't get the nutrients it needs to regulate sleep, emotions, stress, etc...  

There can also be other issues with the gut, weight loss or weight gain, exhaustion, or even nothing else at all for years.

Actually, anything that inhibits absorption of nutrients can trigger this kind of problem, such as a food intolerance, food allergy, or sometimes other diseases such as Crohn's disease or even parasites.  Looking up resources on elimination diets and food journals might be of some help. :-)

Good luck - I remember what it was like. Hope it resolves well for you!
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
She knows you will give in and let her sleep with you or you sleep in with her, you are sending mixed messages .You have to get tough because if you dont it will continue , so send her back to her room, do not pander , do not get in bed with her, she then has won the battle and it will go on till shes a teen .Tell her you are not responding, not going to her room etc, she may read in bed if she cant sleep, be consistant say no and after a few nights she will know you mean it .
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would love to hear somebodies thoughts on this too.  I have a 12 year old that started having problems sleeping before Christmas, I put it down to being excited about the holidays but it has continued and got progressively worse.  We decorated her bedroom after Christmas so she spent a couple of weeks sleeping with me and slept absolutely fine, but now she is back in her own room she is back to the same routine of not sleeping.  I have tried herbal sleep remedies, hypnosis tape, reading, night light and lavender oil and feel like I am slowly losing my mind with lack of sleep myself.  Her main issue seems to be that she says she can't sleep if she knows everybody else is already asleep, this means she is coming in to my room every 5 -20 minutes to check I am awake or wake me up. I thas now got to the point where around 1am I just get in bed with her and she drops off, I eventually wake up and go back to my own room and she then stays asleep.  This proves to me that she can actually get to sleep but there is no normal routine.  Any help very much appreciated.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Has anyone commented on your post?  I am having the same exact problem with our eight-year-old.  We have been to the pediatrician and I was just thinking of emailing her school counselor when I saw your post.  Any luck, suggestions?  Thank you so much!
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Child Behavior Community

Top Children's Health Answerers
189897 tn?1441126518
San Pedro, CA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments