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Sleep and Anxiety in 10 year old son

NAS88814

Hi,

This is my first post and I'm really struggling.

Our son was diagnosed nearly a year ago. He is 10, nearly 11, and has always suffered with anxiety. In the last 6 months he has struggled to get to sleep on a daily basis and wakes repeatedly in the night and then struggles to get back to sleep. 

The GP has been wonderful. We are on the waiting list for counselling and we started melatonin last week. It's not working, yet anyway.

For the last 6 months I have been going to bed at 8pm and sitting with him whilst he falls asleep because his anxiety causes him such discomfort if I am not there. My husband and I don't get to spend any time together and my younger daughter feels hugely left out and that I am not spending any time with her. 

He is very unhappy and wants his old life back and I desperately want to help him, but I just don't know what else to do. I bought a weighted blanket which he refused to try last night because of the heat.

Has anyone had any experience of this? I am feeling so low and so helpless. He is tired, and I am tired. 

Lauren

Parents

  • Hi Lauren

    like you I am also struggling with my 10 year old daughter and sleep. We are going through getting assessments done but I do have an older daughter (26) who has autism. My 10 year old has awful anxiety made worse if she is not with me, she can’t sleep unless I am there with her and the second I leave her side as I’m sure she is asleep she wakes up! I then spend more time getting her back in bed and back to sleep it’s impossible to get in my own bed and sleep myself. 
    I made changes to her bedroom so she had very low led lights in her favourite colour so there is a purple glow in her room, she has a bottle of my perfume which she constantly sprays so her bed smells like me, she has to have the top or dress I wore that day for my smell, the list goes on. My husband tries to help but our daughter gets so worked up and anxious she becomes very vocal which lasts hours so it’s just not worth the stress on her as no matter what she only wants me. I don’t get to spend any time just me and my husband and so often I feel worn out and so alone in this journey. I don’t know how to fix things so life is even a little easier on us all in our house but I wish I could. We have 7 children and our daughter is the youngest. 
    Having someone to talk to even if it’s online here and knowing there are other parents and children dealing with similar situations as us shows me I am not alone. 
    I do hope in time you and your son find something that works and you get time to enjoy the rest of your family xx

Reply

  • Hi Lauren

    like you I am also struggling with my 10 year old daughter and sleep. We are going through getting assessments done but I do have an older daughter (26) who has autism. My 10 year old has awful anxiety made worse if she is not with me, she can’t sleep unless I am there with her and the second I leave her side as I’m sure she is asleep she wakes up! I then spend more time getting her back in bed and back to sleep it’s impossible to get in my own bed and sleep myself. 
    I made changes to her bedroom so she had very low led lights in her favourite colour so there is a purple glow in her room, she has a bottle of my perfume which she constantly sprays so her bed smells like me, she has to have the top or dress I wore that day for my smell, the list goes on. My husband tries to help but our daughter gets so worked up and anxious she becomes very vocal which lasts hours so it’s just not worth the stress on her as no matter what she only wants me. I don’t get to spend any time just me and my husband and so often I feel worn out and so alone in this journey. I don’t know how to fix things so life is even a little easier on us all in our house but I wish I could. We have 7 children and our daughter is the youngest. 
    Having someone to talk to even if it’s online here and knowing there are other parents and children dealing with similar situations as us shows me I am not alone. 
    I do hope in time you and your son find something that works and you get time to enjoy the rest of your family xx

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