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.

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