My 12 year old son has never been able to fall asleep quickly but since feb 2009 when he had a tooth abscess it has become much worse, he says his mind is full of thoughts, too many all at once and is finding it difficult to get to sleep.
He listens to classical music to try and block out the thoughts and on occasion it seems to work but often i find he is still awake at 2am waiting to fall asleep and at least once a week i find he has been up all night and not tired at all, funny though as he actually seems more with it when he has had no sleep and is in a better mood...
I have tried lots of physical activity during the day, giving him warm milk, no milk, no fizzy drinks, herbal melatonin-worked for 1st night asleep by 11pm then did not work again, phenerghan-same effect.
He says the thoughts are anything he has seen that week and he has them all day to and he is struggling to concentrate on anything as so much is going on he can`t filter it and now i have run out of ideas and would be very grateful for any advice.
Thank you
They may also be associated with sleep disorders (eg, sleep apnea, periodic limb movements), medical conditions that cause pain, psychiatric diseases (eg, anxiety, depression).
The investigations which will help to diagnose the type and cause for insomnia are Polysomnography, Multiple sleep latency test and Actigraphy.
The therapy for this condition includes retaining of normal circadian rhythm by non-pharmacological therapy which includes; Photo therapy, maintenance of sleep hygiene.
Psychotherapy can also help him to learn how to cope and deal with the various stressors in his life. Do not worry, follow the above mentioned methods and the symptoms will alleviate. I suggest you to consult sleep specialist or child psychiatrist. Take care and regards.