kidlove... Clearly coming on here at 9am on a Saturday morning means you have been thinking of me and for that I am truly grateful for your show of compassion

My son could easily be mistakingly characterized as ADD. When he had his Psych Ed Assessment, the Psychologist specifically stated that he was not as she explained to me that once the findings of his assessment went to the School Board that would be their automatic identity given and it simply wasn't true. His LD and gifted status are extremely unique and effects less than 1% of the general population so in cases like his, people generally place kids in the wrong category because they don't know what else to do with them.

His brain is so active because he is understimulated and that's why it's hard to get it to stop because he very easily detaches himself and withdraws from the outside world, which is a common trait for ADD sufferers, but it's because he processes information differently and if he isn't being stimulated mentally in a certain way, nothing gets into his working memory.

My son will be 10 on Dec 24th and his bedtime is 8:30. The reading seems to help most of the time, but other times I worry that he just enters another world as most do when reading but for him it's a much more hightened state which can have the opposite effect I would like. He is generally allowed to read till 9/9:30 depending on what time he actually gets into bed and how tired he seems. A lot of times an hour after his light is off is when he first comes to complain that he can't sleep. Sometimes I tell him he can read for another 20 minutes and then thats it. This often works when he isn't going through a bad period and it will be just the thing that destracts him and he goes straight to sleep. Times when I have been a little tougher with my love I have told him not to get out of bed unless the world is ending or the house is on fire and he will still be lying awake at midnight!!!

His temperment is the same the following day and even if he has a bad week of 5 hours sleep each night, he still isn't grumpy. What I have found in the last few weeks is that he looks increasingly more like I do... chronic fatigue, so obviously low energy levels. Still an okay temperment but then he withdraws easier and it is very worrying.

I think what Reggio suggested about the sleep clinic will be my next path. I have also heard from a few different sources that supplementing with magnesium helps with sleep. People who suffer from any sleep struggles, the majority of the time, have a definciancy in magnesium. But how on earth do I get him to swallow a pill at his age??? Melatonin is the first thing that most recommend but it is dangerous for a males fertility so is not something I will entertain.