Our 11 year old son, for 2 1/2 weeks now cannot fall asleep at night until well past 11:00, sometimes as late as 1:00. His normal bedtime was between 8:00 and 9:00. Or, he will fall asleep for an hour and then wake up.

We've have asked me all questions we can think of in regards to what could be causing this, ie, bad dreams, saw something in appropriate, somebody did something to him, scary movie, etc., etc. He cannot identify anything. His behavior during the day has not changed, his personality has not changed either.

We feel it has become a psychological thing and now has become a mental block. But, we are at a loss at what more to do. We've given him permission to read, listen to music, challenged him to pray, etc. (no TV or video games though)

Interestingly, he has had 3 sleepovers during this time and was able to sleep fine at all the places he stayed.

We've tried discipline, then positive encouragement, the "your entering adolescence approach" but nothing is working. He gets so frustrated and ends up crying and wanting to sleep with us. We don't want to go there with that. We are at a loss now and it is getting discouraging and we feel bad for him.

Does anybody have any ideas, even something to give him to induce sleep, whatever?

Answer:

As the parent of 3 children 18-24 unless you can find something medically wrong, even a drug test to make sure he is not doing any drugs( don't get mad) I would leave him alone. Make sure he doesn't bother anyone else in the house or leave the house. He is 11 and in the 6th grade? I don't care what you ask him you won't find out anything. Probably just the assurance that there is nothing wrong with him will relax him.

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