Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thanks for writing to me. It sounds like not being able to sleep at night is making you feel really upset and stressed. Having problems getting to sleep is very common, but it can be a really frustrating experience.

From what you say it seems like not being able to sleep at night is a regular problem for you at the moment. There are all sorts of reasons why we can struggle with getting to sleep. It might be that there’s a lot on your mind or it might be something physical, like feeling unwell, or your bedroom not being dark enough.

I want to let you know that you did the right thing to try to tell your dad about not being able to sleep. I can hear that you were disappointed with the way he reacted. I am not sure what your relationship is like with your dad usually. If your dad is normally helpful, it might be worth thinking about telling your dad again when you are both feeling calmer. Maybe you could try speaking to him in the morning or even writing a letter explaining what is going on for you?

If something is making it hard for your dad to support you at the moment, it might be worth thinking about talking to other adults in your life, like family members, someone at school, your GP or maybe a youth club leader. Everyone deserves a helping hand with problems like this and it's important that you feel safe and supported at home.

You could also have a look at the Problems Sleeping page in Explore as it has as tips that you could try out on the nights when you are feeling wide awake.

If you want to talk a bit more about what is going on for you then you can always speak to a ChildLine counsellor. You can do this by logging on a 1-2-1 chat, calling free on 0800 1111 or sending an email. The counsellors are there for you and would like to help and support you.

Take care

Sam