Sleep in Children : Mummy I can't sleep.
Introduction
Sleep in Children and Children Sleep Disorders.
Sleep disorders, whether you are a child or an adult, can leave
you feeling exhausted, grouchy, and subject to falling asleep at
any time during the day. From the very beginning of your child’s
life, they do not sleep through the night. During the first four
months, waking at night is considered normal. They awake for a
feeding and changing, then back to sleep.
This may last past four months, depending upon the child. From a
year old they should be sleeping through the night however, many
do not. There are various reasons for interrupted sleep in
children. The following will look at several and what you can do
to help your child get the rest he needs.
What are the Problems That Can Come Up with Kids' Sleep?
There are many problems that can cause your child to have
problems getting enough sleep. Because they often do not get the
sleep they need they may suffer from sleep deprivation. This can
cause problems at school, dropping grades, trouble staying
awake, and extreme irritability.
They may be caused by nightmares, wanting to be with you, naps
that are too long during the day, or other more deep rooted
problems. Finding out what is bothering your child is a process
of elimination. The following information will discuss several
problems that children have that cause sleep problems.
What Do I Need to Know About Night Waking? What if My Child
Wakes Up a Lot at Night?
If infrequent night waking is something your child experiences,
it should correct itself and not be a problem. However, if this
becomes an every night occurrence, you may want to consult your
doctor to see if there is a physical reason for this.
Sometimes children will wake, go to the bathroom, ask for a
drink of water, and go right back to sleep. However, there are
instances when they want to get up and play. This can be caused
by a number of things. They may be taking naps during the day
that are too long.
There also could be something they are anxious about, such as a
new experience that they are about to have, such as starting
school for the first time. Reassurance is the key here. Maybe a
trip to the school so they have an idea of what to expect will
allow them to relax and not be so anxious about this change.
What are Sleep-Onset Associations?
If you have started a habit with your child to get them to go to
sleep, such as rocking them, they may not want to go to sleep
unless they are rocked. This is true if they wake in the middle
of the night as well. This is a comfort to the child and they
may need this to go back to sleep. Sometimes they have to have a
favorite blanket or stuffed animal to go to sleep. A pacifier is
another comfort that is learned from an early age.
Opinions differ as to whether rocking your child to sleep is a
good thing or bad. However, many parents get a contented feeling
by rocking their babies, just as the babies do. So it really is
a matter of personal preference. If you feel like rocking your
baby, do not let anyone tell you that you should not.
What you Need to Know About Children's Sleep Cycle?
There are two stages of sleep in children and adults. The REM
sleep, rapid eye movement, is a light sleep from which your
child can awake quite easily. This is the dream state. You will
notice their eyes moving around quickly.
NREM sleep, non-rapid eye movement, is a deep sleep. This is
when you child is less likely to wake. Children normally
alternate between light sleep and deep sleep. Some children just
naturally sleep deeper than others. This is one of the things
that may depend entirely on the child.
How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?
Your newborn may sleep sixteen to eighteen hours a day. This
will seem like a lot to the new mother, but do not worry, it
will change by the time they are about four months old. By that
time, they will begin to sleep less in the daytime and from
eight to ten hours at night. Enjoy this time and get some rest
yourself, because it will only last for a few months.
The older your child gets the less he will sleep although the
major part of his sleep time will be at night. Naps during the
day will probably be required until age three or four. Some
parents find if they cut down on the nap time, it helps their
child to go to bed at a regular time at night.
What Do I Need to Know about School Age Children and Sleep?
When your child starts to school, it is important that he gets
enough sleep. This is generally between nine and twelve hours.
This is normally when children need to be monitored closely to
make sure they are getting enough sleep so they can stay awake
during the day.
How should you gauge whether your child is getting the amount of
sleep they need? If your child can go to sleep within a few
minutes of going to bed, wake up without a problem in the
morning, and not feel tired all day long, they should be getting
the right amount of sleep.
What About Teenagers?
Does your teen have trouble waking up in the morning? Do you
have to wake them several times before they actually get up? If
so, they are not getting the required amount of sleep to
function properly. Sometimes it is the stress of dealing with a
whole new set of rules for junior high and high school. Often
the summer vacation will cause a teen to get turned around and
they stay up later and sleep later.
The problems with teen’s sleeping habits are either due to not
getting to bed early enough to get the right amount of sleep or
a sleep disorder. If your teen goes to bed but cannot go to
sleep and finds themselves lying awake at three in the morning,
this definitely needs to be discussed with your doctor. A
chronic sleep disorder can wreak havoc with your teen’s ability
to function during the day.
Sleep Habits.
The sleep habits you teach your child can last throughout their
life. Good sleep habits are learned at any early age, although
it is never too late to start. If you view bedtime as a special
time spent with your child rather than a chore, they will view
it that way as well.
First make sure the desired bedtime finds your child through
with homework or any other distraction that could keep him
awake. The signs that he is ready to go to bed should be very
obvious. This is when he starts to slow down and maybe rub his
eyes. This should not be the time that you start the bedtime
routine. This should be when he is in bed, ready to go to sleep.
Routine is the key to getting children to bed and asleep when
their bedtime arrives. A schedule during the day will help your
child to know what to expect and when. A bedtime routine will
help; if it is story time, song time, cuddling time, or a back
rub.
How Can I Help My Child (and Myself) Sleep Better? What are Some
Strategies I Can Try?
Routine cannot be stressed enough. If your child has a routine
that is followed every night, even when you are away, this will
benefit the child as well as you. When they get in the habit of
going to bed on time and staying asleep, you will get the rest
you need too.
It may take several nights or even weeks to develop this
routine. However, if you stick to it and do not give up easily,
you should be able to set the pattern for the bedtime ritual.
This will vary depending on your child. Finding what works is
going to be a trial and error method. Another thing to remember
is every child is different and what works for one might not
necessarily work for another.
Strategies that have been tried and have proven effective when
getting your child to sleep better are:
Sometimes a background noise such as a fan or even a CD of ocean
sounds or something similar will reassure your child. If you
start your baby with this when they are small it is a soothing
sound similar to what they heard before they were born.
A good amount of physical activity during the day will help them
to burn off excess energy and when possible, fresh air will make
them sleep better at night.
When the bedtime ritual is started, make sure your lighting is
dim. This will signal to the brain that rest time is imminent.
Doing the opposite in the morning will help them to associate
bright light with getting up for the day.
What are Nightmares and Night Terrors (Also Called Sleep
Terrors) and How are They Different?
If you are a parent, you have been awakened at two in the
morning to the sound of your child screaming at the top of their
lungs. As you panic and try to focus on getting out of bed, fear
clutching at your heart, just to find out he has had a nightmare
and thinks there is a monster hiding under his bed. Every parent
experiences this at one time or another. Usually when your child
has a nightmare, they can be easily calmed and go back to sleep
without much of a problem.
Night terrors are another matter entirely. The child suffering
with night terrors may sit straight up, eyes open, with a
terrified look on their face. Often screaming will accompany the
night terrors and they are terrifying screams.. Night terrors
differ from nightmares by the child being confused,
inconsolable, and they may not know you. Profuse sweating, fast
breathing, and a very rapid heart beat are all signs of night
terrors.
Can Sleep Apnea Affect Children?
Sleep apnea is a problem that children and adults have. This
disorder is normally caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
Often surgery is needed to cure this problem. The scary thing
about this disorder is that it causes the person to temporarily
stop breathing while they are asleep.
Being overweight can lead to this problem. Snoring is one sign
that your child may have sleep apnea. The child may have trouble
breathing and may sweat profusely during the night. Due to this
condition interrupting sleep, it may cause the child to be
sleepy during the day. Add to that the irritability and this
will affect their daily routine. They may fall asleep in school
and grades will start to suffer. This condition should be
discussed at length with your child’s doctor.
What Do Separation Problems Have to Do With Sleep?
If you make a change in your lifestyle, such as taking a
position that requires you to work at night, this could cause
separation problems with your child. They may not want to go to
sleep if you are not there. When they have been used to you
putting them to sleep and all of a sudden there is a big change,
this can trigger issues.
You can fee the same separation issues as your child. You are
also used to doing things a certain way and when they change,
you may feel guilty that you are not there for your nightly
routine.
What if My Child Has Problems Settling in at Night or Resists
Going to Sleep?
Every parent has experienced the temper tantrum. Sometimes they
occur at night when you are trying to put your child to bed.
They are stubborn about this to the point of having you at your
wits end. The best thing to do is remain calm. If you get highly
agitated, it will only make the situation worse.
Calmly try to discuss what may be bothering your child and the
reasons for not wanting to go to bed. If they do not have a
reason, they just do not want to go, maybe a few minutes of
special time will calm them so they will go to bed. Try
something they like, such as a special song or a warm cup of
milk. If you can get them to cuddle up to you, they may be
sleepier than they realize.
What is a Sleep Diary? How Might it Help With My Child’s Sleep?
A sleep diary may be helpful if you child is having trouble
going to sleep. As you keep a record of the nights they were not
ready for sleep, you may see a pattern. The time they get up,
how long and how many naps they take, what time they go to bed,
and how many times they awoke during the night will allow you to
see if there is a pattern.
You may be able to solve this problem on your own or you may
have to enlist the help of your pediatrician. Either way, if you
keep a sleep diary, it may help when it comes to discovering why
your child is having difficulties.
How Can I Decide Whether a Crib or Sharing Sleep (Co-Sleeping)
is Better for My Family?
Many parents feel that the closeness of sharing their bed with
their children is a comfort for them. However, most doctors do
not feel this way. Their opinion for the most part is it is not
safe for children to sleep with adults. There have been studies
conducted that show nearly half of children suffocating in their
sleep are because they were in an adult bed.
The studies show that adults rolling on children and the bedding
can contribute to suffocating. Children are not big enough to
get out from under something or someone who is on top of them.
It depends on the precautions you take to make sure something
such as suffocating cannot occur. However, most doctors
recommend against it period.
What About Medications to Help My Child Sleep Better?
No medications should ever be given to a child unless a doctor
is consulted. There are instances of abuse when it comes to this
method of getting your child to go to sleep. The general
consensus is that using good sleeping plans to get your child to
sleep works far better than giving them a drug to make them
sleep.
If your child has a really serious problem going to sleep, you
may want to consult your doctor. There is an over the counter
medicine called melatonin that if used only with the approval of
your doctor, may help your child if they have a history of
chronic sleeplessness. This is also an alternative for special
needs children who have problems sleeping.
Baby Crib Safety Tips.
Here are tips that you should follow when it comes to making
sure that your baby’s crib is safe. Accidents happen every year
that are related to babies sleeping in cribs that do not meet
safety requirements. If you are in doubt as to whether your crib
is safe, check out the following tips:
* Babies should always sleep on their back on a mattress that
fits the bed properly. This means with no gaps between the
mattress and the bed.
* You should not put any kind of comforters, blankets, pillow,
or even stuffed animals in the crib with your baby. Bumper pads
are not recommended either.
*-Use a sleeper with feet to keep your baby warm rather than a
cover.
* If you must use a blanket, use only thin ones and tuck it
around the mattress with it being no higher than the baby’s
chest.
* Do not be tempted to use a sheet that is too large for the
mattress. Only ones that fit the mattress snugly should be used.
* A crib with slats should have only a little over two inches
between the slats. Anything wider than this can be a place for
the baby’s head to get stuck.
These are only a few of the precautions you should take when
purchasing a crib for your baby. The basic of crib buying are
covered with the crib manufacturers themselves.
Your child should be the most important person in your life.
After all, he is dependent upon you for everything for the first
few years of his life. When it comes to the ups and downs of a
child’s life, they will turn to the person they trust most in
this world for help. This starts at the very beginning of life
and there is no feeling in the world like doing everything you
can do to keep your child safe and happy.
If you have questions or suggestions on Sleep in Children you may
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