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My Child Won't Go To Sleep, Keeps Moving

by Chicky
(Australia)

My child turns 6 early this year. She seems to have some kind of movement disorder. She continually moves, it stops her from falling asleep.


We have tried so many methods even giving up and allowing her to stay awake. She would usually be asleep by 11 or 12 pm. She was fine "we thought ok she doesn't need as much sleep as most kids" but then she started school and I could tell how tired she was or still is.

If I lay with her and stop her moving which sometimes I have to put my leg on top of hers to stop her leg tapping. She will do anything to remain awake like wiggle her fingers, toes, constantly blink, sometimes you don't know she is moving so she remains awake.

I have tried kids relaxation tapes and if she does the breathing exercises she falls asleep easily but after a couple of weeks she just wouldn't do the exercises anymore. Now my current practice is to read her to sleep no pictures and when she moves I tell her to stop. It still takes an hour and a half but she is now asleep at least 3 hours earlier than usual. She still seems tired to me and this reading thing may also only work briefly as everything else has. Any ideas or advice?

Comments for My Child Won't Go To Sleep, Keeps Moving

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Aug 03, 2015
 Mirror image NEW
by: Anonymous

Wow your post blew me away it's so exact with my own 6 year olds behaviour I could of written it! Your doing everything I'm doing I'm even doing the reading to sleep, I wish I had advice for you but I don't have any I'm sorry, I will be trying the herb Melitonin
Aug 07, 2015
 Mover not sleeper NEW
by: Anonymous

I am so glad to have read other people are experiencing this my son does this too. He always sleeps well once he is asleep but getting him to sleep is an absolute nightmare he cannot give in Y all. He had been like this since he was a baby. I have tried so many things and just don't know what else I can do. Would love any advice!
Aug 12, 2015
 Same NEW
by: Anonymous

My son has the same issues. It takes him 2+ hours to get to sleep vs 10 mins for his younger brother. Wiggling, moving about, tapping, he just can't be still and drift off. He has always been difficult to put to bed, even as an infant, but "waiting for him to grow out of it" seems to be a passive route. Any suggestions would be a godsend!
Aug 16, 2015
 Restless legs NEW
by: Jo

My son is 10, he has never slept properly. He says he needs to move about. He hates assembly at school as he has to sit still and he says it makes his legs hurt. I had not put 2 and 2 together until this week. I was talking to my Mum. She has restless legs. RLS... (Genetic or a symptom of Iron deficiency).
Read your posts so thought it may be worth a mention to you.
Aug 19, 2015
 Low Ferritin/PLMD NEW
by: Anonymous

Our son too, has always been a "mover," both in the day and at night. He had a Sleep Study and they found he was deficient in Ferritin so he was prescribed supplemental iron. They said he has PLMD (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder) in which he has frequent uncomfortable sensations within/in his limbs and needs to move. From the study they found that he was moving around 26 times an hour when the average movement for his age is only supposed to be 3 times an hour during sleep. So, needless to say he is truly never getting the restful sleep he needs! We have seen some improvements since starting the supplemental Ferrous Sulfate but he's still not all the way there. Therefore, I would recommend discussing an iron/ferritin check with your kiddos Peds as it's an easy and fairly quick and simple fix!
Nov 25, 2015
 Please help. All of children struggle to sleep NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi

All 3 of my kids struggle to sleep. My eldest who is 19 grew out of it when he hit his teenage years. My other 2 (8 and 1) are driving me insane. 8 year old goes to bed at 8, falls asleep at 11, I have to almost drag her out of bed in the morning, most days she is just horrid and clearly tired, you would have thought she would sleep early the next night but nope 11pm again! I can already see this in my 1 year old to and I know I've Gotta do this all over again. Surely they must be all missing something? Like what produces melatonin.
Dec 18, 2015
 My Son Can't Sleep Cause His Body Keeps Moving NEW
by: Anonymous

My 6 year old Son Can't Sleep cause His Body Keeps Moving..And I'm Don't Understand Why and What's Going On..Can Somebody Please Help Me. .
Mar 17, 2016
 Help!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

I have the same problem with my daughter 6 years old. Please Help!!!!
Mar 28, 2016
 Sounds like my 2:year old, too NEW
by: Anonymous

The joke with my family is that she doesn't want to miss anything. She cannot unwind, stop fidgeting or talking. 1.5 hour bedtime process.
Mar 28, 2016
 4 year old NEW
by: Anonymous

My Dr has always been difficult to cajole into sleep. She will only sleep with someone, never alone. I say she literally falls asleep because she passed out from exhaustion. I have also begun to notice screaming her legs hurt and her having to shake them when she is overly tired. It can sometimes take 4 hours to get her to sleep when this happens if I don't intervene with meds. This typically only happens when she hasn't had her tenex. Her iron levels are WNL, but this sleep thing seems to be getting worse.
Aug 25, 2016
 Another 6 year old mover NEW
by: Mary

My son, also 6, has always been difficult to get to sleep. But recently he can't fall asleep for HOURS and then still wakes up at 6:00 am. He moves his legs a lot during sleep and moans. No bad dreams or night terrors. He has no sugar or screen time late in the day. He's starting to doze off in class by his account. Searching for answers. There is iron deficiency on my side of the family so I'm going to talk to his pediatrician about that.
Sep 02, 2016
 Iron supplement helped my child to sleep NEW
by: Nadine

My two year old is finally sleeping great since I got her on galfer liquid iron. Took a while to get her dose right. Now on 5mls every evening at 7pm. She is only 10kgs as was a small prem baby.as she grows we adjust her dose. If Her legs start jerking and disturbing her sleep,this is our que to up her dose by half a ml.doctors and consultants no help as this iron deficient sleep disorder appears to only effect about 1% of toddlers.my daughter seemed to be in pain when her legs jerked and didn't seem to be responsible for the movements. We were delerious from lack of sleep.hope this works.Dr said iron wouldn't harm her but watch out that she doesn't get constipated.she eats kiwi and pears so no problems there.in the past on a bad night I found if I got her to walk around a bit as the jerking and twitching was worst at rest.she would settle for a few hours then. Good luck our world is so much better now.
Sep 02, 2016
 Iron supplement helped my child to sleep NEW
by: Nadine

My two year old is finally sleeping great since I got her on galfer liquid iron. Took a while to get her dose right. Now on 5mls every evening at 7pm. She is only 10kgs as was a small prem baby.as she grows we adjust her dose. If Her legs start jerking and disturbing her sleep,this is our que to up her dose by half a ml.doctors and consultants no help as this iron deficient sleep disorder appears to only effect about 1% of toddlers.my daughter seemed to be in pain when her legs jerked and didn't seem to be responsible for the movements. We were delerious from lack of sleep.hope this works.Dr said iron wouldn't harm her but watch out that she doesn't get constipated.she eats kiwi and pears so no problems there.in the past on a bad night I found if I got her to walk around a bit as the jerking and twitching was worst at rest.she would settle for a few hours then. Good luck our world is so much better now.
Dec 30, 2016
 Lack of sleep and all weary in the morning NEW
by: H

13 and still not sleeping. Labrador complex has to touch us to go to sleep. Bug terrors every night has us searching the bedding. Melatonin didn't work for long. Tried hypnotherapy-nuh. Tried mental health services and they ended up questioning me!!massive paddy last night that just made me a bit fearful for his future- it was 3 in the morning tho. Haven't tried iron but know my ferritin is ratshit so maybe that is the answer. Magnesium was good. May the force be with all you folks -I totally understand. My doctor reserve his judgement- which means he thinks he's spoilt. Flip I just want my boy to sleep.
Jan 24, 2017
 out of control... help NEW
by: Lisa

My son will be 5 the 7 the of next month and he's always constantly moving and he doesn't listen to anything nobody says, he isn't sleeping like he should... But when I say isn't sleeping I mean it he has stayed up all the way till day light and when he doesn't get his way he hits his self but he really tries to hurt his self he has brused his self and a oddy nose recently he acted like he was gonna stab his self with a pen he trys to hurt everyone and he's very mean to his 3 year old sister and he is sapose to be going to therepy I need help and advice what to do.....

Apr 01, 2018
 8 year old won't sleep! NEW
by: Erin

My 8 year old son has never slept very well, but this last couple of years, it's been getting worse. He will go to bed at a decent time, but will not actually fall asleep until 3-4 in the morning! He constantly moves around whether it's during the day (very hyperactive during the day) or at night. It's worse at night, though. He fidgets, taps on things, plays with his hands and feet, hums, makes weird clicking/sucking noises with his mouth, talks to himself, rolls around on the bed with half of his body hanging off as if he's paralyzed thinking he's being funny. Definitely NOT funny. I repeatedly have to remind him to SIT STILL and go to sleep. I plan on having a sleep study done on him, but what do I do in the meantime? I'm losing my mind. He never stops moving!
Apr 04, 2018
 3 year old rls?? NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi. My son turned 3 in February. He’s NEVER been a good sleeper from day 1 but it just gets worse and worse. Takes him over an hour to fall asleep and he is constantly kicking his legs, feet, moving his toes. If he doesn’t nap he’s out by 8 or 9 but right back up 2 hours later until after 2. If he does nap it’s late like after 6 and then won’t go to bed until about 1:30-2. So either way I’m doomed... I just don’t even know what to do...
Jul 15, 2018
 Check their food!! NEW
by: Anonymous

I came to this forum because my 2 year old takes quite a while to settle before falling asleep... but only really about 30-45 minutes (including time to read a book or two). So not horrible.

I don’t suspect any iron deficiency but I can tell you that there are so many added chemicals and preservatives in our food these days... for you mommas our there struggling hard, you may need to make sure it’s not something they’re eating. Red food dye comes to mind. My nephew who was born 3 lbs 3 oz cannot have red food dye because it makes him CRAZY!!! Read up on it!

Try an elimination diet and see if you can’t pinpoint the culprit. Google it... it’s so easy to do an elimination diet. Good luck everyone!
Sep 28, 2018
 Food question NEW
by: AlexR

My son is 8 years old and restless as well. He can't sleep until is very late or wakes up early and stays up.
I have the feeling it is related to food, when he was a baby I had to use formula. And I did for his first year and a half. Other than that I believe he ate healthy stuff. So I think is related to the formula or to dairy or sugar.

He became a terrible eater at 13 months old and I started giving him some "not so healthy food" in order to eat at least something. I realize now it was a mistake, but at that time I thought it was better than nothing to eat during the day. Please share your thoughts. I would like to compare the foods that other children with similar symptoms were having.
Dec 15, 2018
 2 year old
by: Anonymous

My 2 year old currently takes 2 hours to successfully call asleep and then around 2am wakes back up searching for me in bed. For the entire 2 hours she's crying and calling for me. And when she finally settles down she's constantly rubbing and moving her hands until she passes out from exhaustion. I feel so bad for her because i know she's so tired, but can't turn her brain off long enough to sleep, and i think she's having anxiety of not sleeping with me or next to me. Considering natural melatonin but so worried if its safe for her or not.
Jul 01, 2019
 Let them read NEW
by: Anonymous

For the older kids: I found with my boy that he tends to go to bed much earlier, easier and less stressful if I send him to his bedroom at bedtime but he’s allowed to stay up as late as he wants to read. Obviously he’s up later than I’d like. But I think it relaxes him and he tends to fall asleep much earlier than otherwise.

Also: if you have a nannycam you should put it on them for a night. You’ll be astounded how horrible your kid sleeps. I don’t know what to do to improve the sleep but it was interesting as I always thought once he was asleep he slept fine.

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