Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Rapid Heart Rate at Bedtime?

Anyone experience this with their child who needs little sleep and finds it difficult to shut their mind down?
-cc

I almost posted about this earlier today. My ds6 usually doesn't have too much trouble falling asleep when he first goes to bed, but he wakes up in the night and has a hard to falling back to sleep. Also, even when he seems to have gotten a good night's sleep, he's still tired the next day. His attention issues are severely exagerated on these days. Ds says his "brain works backwards; it's awake at night and asleep during the day." Not sure what to make of it, but I'd love to hear advice or experience of others.

Hmmmm? DS has been complaining of a "racing heart" lately but not just at bedtime. We saw the pediatric cardiolgist last week who didn't find anything abnormal on the 2 EKGs or the ultrasound. We came home with a heart monitor to try to catch some of his episodes this month.

I actually think the fast heart rate is a pain response to his acid reflux that we can't get under control. It didn't occur to me that the racing heart might be associated with the racing mind.

Anxiety?

My child has a benign arrhythmia, it is a nuisance, but it is worse when there is anxiety at bedtime.

Too much exercise near bedtime? Hot baths near bedtime? Both of these can cause a rapid heart rate.

This would've been my guess too.

DS13 used to walk around like a Zombie for an hour or two after he woke up in the morning. He never seemed to get sleepy in the evening, just more and more wound up. I had heard that 'gifted kids just don't need as much sleep' and didn't stress over it. And yes, all the teachers at school did think that he had ADHD.

A few years ago, I finally broke down and tried him on the Melitonin. Our Pediatrician was ok with us trying it. Scary how well it worked. It also helped him stay asleep. We could totally tell on the nights he missed a dose. Over the last few months he seems to not need it anymore, especially if we get him to bed at a reasonable hour, but now he can get alert and out the door within 30 minutes if necessary. If we let him stay up too late, he gets too wound up to fall asleep, and too mean to put to bed. Weirdly, he obeys much better at 9:30 than at 10:30. It is as though the 'good sense' got turned off at 9:30 and all that is left is the anxiety.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

My son (11) has always had problems to fall asleep. In the morning it's very difficult to wake him up, he still needs more time but school won't wait for him.

If I put him on bed at 9pm he'll be awake for at least 2 hours before falling asleep. If he reads a book it could be even worse. When I ask him what's in his mind he says "nothing, I just can't sleep".

Sometimes I think he "tries" to keep himself awake by moving his hands, touching his nose, shaking his legs, flipping his pillow, etc.

I'm afraid of trying melatonin, anyone else has tried it besides Grinity? What about yoga or breathing slowly, has it worked for your kid? Any other ideas?

We have always done a bedtime routine. We read together before kids go to sleep and get very cozy. I think this helps the transition to sleep. My kids were scared of the dark and I think it helped to have a little time with them to get used to the dark rather than just walking out of their bedroom and turning off the light.

Despite this wonderful routine we have had our issues with sleep too.