Kids who can't stop moving???

[loveliest1]

My DS is like this too most of the time, and it sometimes worries me. He doesn't seem to have any aggression issues, but he just has SO much energy, and is easily excitable! He is 2 1/2 by the way. Anyway, if we are home ALL day long and inside, he is usually pretty calm most of the day, although he still goes from toy to toy and doesn't focus on one thing too well. If he is outside, or if he's around other kids, he just runs around like crazy, screaming and laughing. He gets on older kids' nerves because he will follow them around and try to do everything they are doing.

I don't think at this point, it's anything to be worried about. But, I do worry if he will be the child that disrupts class all the time, and I don't want him labeled as a "problem kid" just because he gets so excited and has so much energy.

Oh, and naps sometimes takes him two hours to get to sleep, but he will sleep 3 hours once he's asleep. And, bedtime he usually goes right to sleep but sometimes (like tonight) it takes him an hour or more to fall asleep. He sleeps in his own bed (a toddler bed) and plays himself to sleep, usually with cars or trucks in his bed. I gave up trying to make him stay in his bed.

I have found that for sleep, the best thing that works for us is to have a schedule and STICK TO IT. If he gets off his sleep schedule for even a day, it takes a few days to get back to normal and takes him longer to fall asleep.

[McKenna]

He is always on the go, and my jaw literally hangs in awe of people who talk about their child "laying down with them" in their bed or on the couch. He has never been able to do that.

I couldn't have said it better! Both my girls have been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. My oldest seems to have the most difficulty with it. She just cannot sit still. We've always called her our little "Energizer Bunny." She continually amazes people with her continual motion. A LOT of that is related to SPD. She struggles to feel where her body is in space, in relation to things around her. Constant movement is comforting to her. But unlike your DD, both my DD's have sleep issues. The oldest stopped napping at 24 mos. and still won't sleep for more than about 10 hrs. per night. She has a very hard time settling down to sleep.

I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but maybe you should talk to your ped about having your DD evaluated. It couldn't hurt.

[spring]

Another mom of a sensory-challenged dd checking in I have a 6 year old dd who had sensory challenges and who used to be very much like you've described. She wnt through 6 months of listening therapy and a sensory OT program last winter; the first session she wore her headphones she sat still for 20 minutes and colored - that might sound like nothing to most parents but for her, it was the first time she'd sat still in a chair ever - before that she was always wiggling, standing up, walking across the room etc, she never sat still. OT for her SPD challenges helped so much - she now focuses on single activities, doesn't have to be hopping up and down all the time, plus I learned how to help her calm herself when she started getting anxious.

SSSo

[Dubhshlaine]

My DS is like this. He just can't stop moving, never could, not even before he was born. He finally started going to sleep on his own and staying asleep most of the time after he started kindergarden last fall. It was a huge relief cause DD was already sleeping beautifully but I was still up everynight with DS. I had to tell him he couldn't come in my bed anymore because he would toss and flip and kick all night long. He may have some sensory issues but not just because of this, he has some other stuff going on as well but it seems to be getting better. It sounds to me like your DD just has a lot of energy. Hopefully her teachers will be able to make use of all that energy and help her to focus on their activities.