Bedtime help!

My nine year old boy is just so rubbish at settling down to sleep! Does anyone have a you can send my way!

We have a strong bedtime routine (try to have showers in the morning rather than a bath at night as it gets him hyper not clam and sleepy ) He gets organised then I read a story with him when he is in bed. I have started using a drop of lavender oil on a tissue as it seems to help him settle but he complains about getting a headache from it so if someone can suggest an alternative I would be grateful.

Tonight was a typical "hyper" night, talking incessantly, jumping about his bed, getting up, interrupting the story etc etc. he has been back a school for a couple of weeks now and I just don't seem to be able to fit enough physical exercise into the afternoon to tire him out. One hour of nonsense later he is finally attempting to sleep.

At school his behaviour is lovely, all teachers enjoy having him and he charges around the playground at break times with his many friends. He is clever (the phrase so sharp he will cut himself has been mentioned ) and very physical. I would always describe his talking as incessant at home as he keeps everything battened down for school.

Any ideas how to help him at bedtime gratefully received.

Can you fit ib some exercise when he gets hone from school? I bit of a release might be required! Perhaps sine special talking time before bed too, when he can get out what hes thinkibg about. Hrs behaviour suggests to me that he might be anxious. What do you think? Does he have nightmares? Or worry about the following day? What does he chat about in his hyperness?

Sorry I missed the bit about afternoon activity. I noticed boots do a nice lavender sleep spray, warm camomile tea or camomile in warm milk might help.

What time is bedtime and when does he get up in the morning?

He was at his football club for an hour after school today and he normally goes out to play on his bike after school or we all go off to the park for a while once or twice a week.

It could easily be anxiety. He does sometimes wake with bad dreams (and often will not go back to sleep!) but not very regularly. He was talking about lots of school stuff tonight (mostly things from the playground rather than the classroom) but nothing he seemed worried about. He also wanted to role play phoning the RNLI. I do incorporate chat time into story time but sometimes his head just seems so so so busy!

Bed time is 8pm in bed and half an hour of story/chat time. He gets anytime from 6am to 730am but normally about 645am. The more tired he is, the earlier he gets up!

Can you move chat time to earlier on? Exercise can be a stimulant so that might be worth a thought. I wonder if Rnli is about rescuing/danger/emergency situations? Perhaps a fun game during the day is more worrying at night? Perhaps some free drawing time or representational play.... like play with animals where he can act out situations or scenarios and give you a clue as to whats going on in his head

Hmm, lots to ponder on. I would say that the more tired he is the more physical and hyper is.

The one conversation that does keep reoccurring is the one about him breaking his arm quite badly earlier this year at out of school club playing tig. I wonder if some of the rougher play in the playground makes him anxious about doing it again? To be fair he has always been a bit of a tough cookie to help to settle but I feel things have got worse again after a good long spell of being calmer and it probably ties in with getting back out to play once his arm was healed!