Calming activities pre bedtime?

[LGBoyMama]

My son is 7 with ADHD on Focalin and he gets severely hyper before bedtime and we can't seem to find anything to help him calm down. I also suspect he is a sensory seeker as he is constantly in motion, down on the floor, all over the place. We read books, I've let him read in bed, we pray, do deep breathing exercises, and his play therapist suggested letting him build with Legos since it is a favorite activity that is usually calming/focusing for him, but none of this is working. Any suggestions for strategies to help a super hyperactive kid calm down for bedtime?

[Onthemove1971]

Welcome to the group. Our son is 13 years old and will have a full day at school ( usually plays basketball at lunch), sports pratice ( at least 2 hours and once his medication wears off he still has a lot of energy. We encouraged him the run on our treadmill, we have a "dummy" he kicks and punched, basketball indoor and outside and lacrosse nets. He will be outside until.the sun goes down rain or shine. This is the only way he can calm himself for the evening.

We say he us like a porsha on roller skates. Once he gets his energy out he can the settle down. We also use melatonin for sleeping ( dr. Approved).

So I am not sure if your child does some form of activity, but I do not recommend the calming this make sure he is good and tired before he g.d alls asleep quickly.

Some people says their kids love " "weighted blanket", check amazon for them. It just puts pressure on their bodies.

Hope this helps! Again welcome!

[LGBoyMama in reply to Onthemove1971]

Thank you for the suggestions!

[Onthemove1971 in reply to LGBoyMama]

I also wanted to add that if he is active in the early evenings he sleeps much better.

He also used Melatonin at night. Good luck!

[neringa]

I fine my son Melatonin that is the only way he goes to sleep

[Hidden]

I would also say.. melatonin. But be careful,not everyone can handle melatonin. It works wonders for our 8 yr old daughter but is a horror story for our 7yr old son. He gets even more hyper and then after an hour or so of sleep he is awake and crying and very restless the rest of the night. For him we found giving him magnesium and 200 mg of L-Theanine at bedtime helps.

[Cjkchamp]

A weighted blanket while you read and then while he is sleeping. If my son is wound up, the pressure helps him. I also recommend you look into broad spectrum micronutrients.

[plantdoc]

You're not alone! I will have to physically stop my son from pacing, which he will sometimes start right before bed. I'll remind him that pacing winds him up, but night time is for winding down.

FWIW - I *try* (and am successful maybe 50% of the time) to get my 9-yr-old outside for at least 20 minutes each day after school. I notice that when he spends time outside, he is easier to calm in the evenings. I'm lucky in that I work remotely so I can do this when he's off the bus, but he will resist most of the time because he wants time to wind down right after school. Anyway, long story longer, outside time seems to help mine, and also now he requests melatonin, too, especially on nights when he's not managed to get outside.

I also have to sorta sit on him at bedtime, as in, I'll lie down with him and let him talk himself out for a while. I can tell when his talking is winding him up, though, and sometimes I leave before he's done and then check in on him later.

Also, although my son doesn't have a weighted blanket, he has multiple pillows and blankets that he snuggles under, which calms him. Plus, he has found that he enjoys using a sleep mask now, too.

Also, and this isn't helpful, but if yours is anything like ours, what will work one week won't work the next, so you (like us) will probably have to rotate strategies.... <sigh>

GOOD LUCK!!

[Janice_H]

Try giving him a small dose of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime. My son was on Focalin for a short time. He has always had difficulty winding down at bedtime, even as a baby. The melatonin really helps.

[LGBoyMama]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, I appreciate it!