Both DS and myself, suffer the "brain won't shut off" for sleep. He needs music, I tend to have a documentary on. Reading doesn't work for me as it just gets the brain reengaged. If it is his brain won't shut-down, maybe some way for him to focus his attention away from his thoughts like music would help.
I have no trouble falling asleep, but I only need about 5 hours. Anything more leaves me with a headache. (I can't meditate though - omg - talk about brain not shutting off...)
My DD10 and DS8 get anywhere from 7-9 hours, depending on how late they stay up to read or how early they wake up. Their in-class performance varies, although in a recent survey of their teachers I was told that they're not consistently sleepy (only occasionally). Mind you I give them protein shakes in their lunch which I think helps (I sometimes think DD has ADHD like her brother, so I use the recommendations for ADHD on both of them). FYI, I use whey isolate, and I'm careful about the amount - too much can be hard on kidneys so you need to monitor protein intake carefully if you supplement.
