I've also read the gifted kids often need less sleep. My DS7 doesn't sleep as much as the "theory" says he should. I've gradually come to terms with the idea that if he can get up in the morning without a lot of hassle and he isn't dragging around the house at dinner time, he must be getting enough sleep. We have developed an in your room and quiet by 8:30 or 9:00 policy because he needs to be up at 6:45 am for school. As long as he can get up easily, I don't hassle him about how long he reads at night. He's often still turning pages at 10:30 or 11:00.
But... if Mite's not getting enough sleep, then you need something different. I learned some relaxation techniques years ago that I use when I am having trouble sleeping. I use something called progressive relaxation. I found a good description of it, along with some other ideas at
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htmlI also do the guided imagery when I can't sleep.
Jill
