Five Reasons Your Child Might Not Be Sleeping Well and Want You Can Do
By: Anita Ginsburg
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Just like their adult counterparts, children are known to have problems sleeping during the night. With issues ranging everywhere from insomnia to snoring, a lack of sleep comes with a wide variety of behavioral and functional problems. Fortunately, there are many ways to go about helping youngsters with their sleeping troubles. Below are five common issues and what you can do to aid them along.
Night Terrors
Common in childhood, night terrors are vivid nightmares that cause a child to wake abruptly in terror. This causes crying, shouting, elevated heart rates, and sometimes the inability to go back to sleep. In these situations, it is important to ensure your child about their safety and that you are near them at all times. Most children tend to grow out of the night terror phase around toddler age or usually no later than six years old. Allow them to choose solutions with you that might help, like having mom in the room until they fall asleep, reading a book or eating a snack. These things can help calm them and allow them to quickly fall back asleep.
Insomnia
Whether it is an extended struggle or just for a few days, children are susceptible to insomnia. It is commonly be caused by various types of sleep anxiety, nightmares, or just stress. There are many remedies to help with insomnia from determining the original stressors and natural supplements. One notable product on the market is a natural sleep-aid with a blend of herbs and a low dose melatonin from TeddyMD LLC. Supplements can greatly help children who struggle to sleep on a regular basis.
Sleeping Habits
If there are not regular sleeping habits established in your child’s routine, they will not maintain a steady sleeping schedule. Children are truly creatures of habit and usually learn to sleep through the night fairly early on. By instituting a set time to go to bed as well as a set time to wake up, your child’s body will then learn to associate these times with what is and is not okay to be awake. This will make bedtime an enjoyable experience for both you and your child.
Snoring
Although it can be harmless or indicate health problems, snoring usually leads to very poor sleeping habits for children. Snoring in anyone can result in restlessness, regular stirring, and even a dramatic increase in mood-related behaviors when awake. If you notice snoring in your child, you can check out any nasal conditions or enlarged tonsils. They also could have a more serious disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea, which needs to be looked into by a medical professional. Once the reason for snoring is determined, it’s very easy to find a solution.
Anxiety
When bedtime comes, children can often have anxiety when either alone in their own rooms or separated from their parents. This can lead to restless nights or nightmares. Instead of encouraging your child by allowing them to sleep in your room with you, help them overcome their anxieties by finding the root causes. Look to what is causing the stress deep down and you can help them in the long run, not just temporarily.
Deciding to address your child’s restless nights is a crucial part of being a parent. Whether you settle on natural remedies to soothe them or try to find the original stressors, helping them now will ensure that they will have a healthy and thriving future. Sleep is vital to the well-being of our young ones.
