My dd is 11, and has struggled with anxiety issues for some years now. She has streaks where she can't fall asleep for several nights in a row; if she can't sleep within 15 minutes of lights-out, we know we've got a problem for the night. She has a long, exacting bedtime routine that we stick to, including reassuring her that she "won't stop breathing and won't die, and neither will anyone else for a long, long time." Rubbing her back with lavender lotion can help, as can putting a dab of my perfume on her wrist and telling her to smell it with long, deep breaths. She also likes "quiet things," where I choose a location she's familiar with--the soccer park, the grocery store, the lake--and describe its nighttime state in poetic detail (often a tall order for me at 11 p.m.!). If nothing works, it's downstairs on the couch in front of the TV, which is the only thing that works for me when I can't sleep.
