9 year old affraid to go to sleep.

[BusyBarnMom]

Our 9 year old daughter is affraid to go to sleep at night.  This started about 4 months ago when we were answereing her questins about Heaven... we started reading the book "Heaven for Kids".  She stated that she was affraid to go to sleep because she might not wake up... we got through that and now she is worried about if I or my husband die, her father died 4 years ago, so this possibility is very real.  She goes to bed fine, we talk about good things that have happend throught the day, things that she wants to do in the future and silly things.  All of this trying to get the thoughts to good things.  We even moved one of the dogs in to her room at night as a protector.  As soon as I leave her room, which also has a lamp on low and the door wide open, her stomach starts to hurt and all of the bad thought come in.  We have let her come down and sleep on the couch because she gets up and goes to the bathroom, gets a drink of water, lays in bed and cries, starts counting loudly, and then praying and crying aloud begging for help and appologizing for not trusting that all will be ok....  We both frustrated, because I can't calm her fears and distraught because once she is on the couch in the living room she is calm right away and can go to sleep.  She says that she wants to sleep in her room which she loves...  Also, don't know if this applies.. she is diagnosed with ADHD and OCD and being treated with Strattera and behavior modification.

[margypops]

You may want to ask your Doctor about the Med as they are known to cause side effects and anxiety is one of them,and perhaps the sleeplessness is part of it.