sleepless daughter...help!

by Kathy Gamble
(Ada, Ohio)

Dear Grandma Patty,
I am the mother of five wonderful children. They range in age from 15 1/2 to 8. A very lively bunch that keeps me on my toes!
My 15 year old daughter has recently started to have a really hard time falling asleep and when she does drift off she can't stay asleep. She has her own room (as do all the kids) and has a fan running because she likes the white noise. She has an extremely limited intake of caffeine (usually a bottle of pop on the weekend only) and is generally busy during the day. I heard a brief clip a few weeks ago about teens having hormonal craziness that causes insomnia and "taking this pill will cure that immediately!" Well there's no way I want to go that route! I was wondering if you had any ideas that might help her without "drugging" her. This will come in quite handy since she has 2 more sisters after her and 2 brothers as well! They are just too big to rock to sleep nowadays!!!

Thank you for your help!
Sincerely,
Kathy Gamble

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Aug 01, 2008
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starstarstarstarstar 		Home Remedy for Restful Sleep
by: Grandma

Hello Kathy,

What a beautiful big family you have! I can tell from your writing how proud you are.

What your teenage daughter is going through is very normal. I raised three daughters and three sons and believe me, everyone of them has gone through what your daughter is going through now. You will find that they will go through different stages. One time they can't sleep or stay asleep and the next thing you know they are sleeping very long hours and wanting to sleep all the time. Yes, hormones among other things can be blamed for this, but again, it's all very natural.

When my kids went through these stages I would give them chamomile tea to sip on before going to bed, I'd always put a bit of honey to sweeten it and avoid the sugar. If you'd like to read about the benefits of chamomile tea just click on the button at the left marked "Edible Flowers". And look for a link called "incredible-chamomile".

The scent of lavender is also really helpful for natural rest. You can just dab a bit on a piece of cloth and tuck it under the pillow.

You can also visit your local herbal store and ask about their herbal mixes you can use. I've also used herbal capsules to get them back on a sleep schedule. They can really have a nice relaxing effect without the worry of side effects.

I had to giggle when I read what you said about rocking them now, isn't that the truth? We think its tough when they are young until they become teenagers and wish they were young again.

I realize it's summer now and you may hear some protests but keep this in mind when the weather starts changing. There is nothing like a good old-fashioned hot water bottle to comfort children and even teenagers. You might be surprised at how something that simple will lull them asleep. Whatever you do, never use an electric heating pad or electric blanket, they are so dangerous and besides it's the moisture that penetrates and comforts.

I'm so glad you're not falling for all the hype about putting teenagers on medications. I honestly believe that's why we are having so much drug addition in this country.

One more thing, most teenagers need that "white noise" to get them to fall asleep, but it may be what is causing her to wake up so often.

I hope this has helped, it's great to meet such a patient mother.

Thanks for visiting Grandma's Wisdom,

Grandma

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