- Children's Sleep Problems
By The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- No. 34; Updated July 2004
Many children have sleep problems.
Examples include:
* Frequent awakening during
the night
* Talking during sleep
* Difficulty falling asleep
* Waking up crying
* Feeling sleepy during the day
* Having nightmares; or
* Bedwetting
* Teeth grinding and clenching
* Waking early
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Many childhood sleep problems
are related to poor sleep habits or to anxiety about going to
bed and falling asleep. Persistent sleep problems may also be
symptoms of emotional difficulties. "Separation anxiety"
is a developmental landmark for young children. For all young
children, bedtime is a time of separation. Some children will
do all they can to prevent separation at bedtime. However, to
help minimize common sleep problems, a parent should develop
consistent bedtime and regular bedtime and sleep routines for
children. Parents often find that feeding and rocking help an
infant to get to sleep. However, as the child leaves infancy,
parents should encourage the child to sleep without feeding and
rocking. Otherwise, the child will have a hard time going to
sleep alone.
Nightmares are relatively common
during childhood. The child often remembers nightmares, which
usually involve major threats to the child's well-being. Nightmares,
which begin at a variety of ages, affect girls more often than
boys. For some children nightmares are serious, frequent, and
interfere with restful sleep. |
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Sleep terrors (night terrors),
sleepwalking, and sleep talking constitute a relatively rare
group of sleep disorders, called "parasomnias." Sleep
terrors are different from nightmares. The child with sleep terrors
will scream uncontrollably and appear to be awake, but is confused
and can't communicate. Sleep terrors usually begin between ages
4 and 12. Children who sleepwalk may appear to be awake as they
move around, but are actually asleep and in danger of hurting
themselves. Sleepwalking usually begins between ages 6 and 12.
Both sleep terrors and sleepwalking run in families and affect
boys more often than girls. Most often, children with these sleep
disorders have single or occasional episodes of the disorder.
However, when episodes occur several times a night, or nightly
for weeks at a time, or interfere with the child's daytime behavior,
treatment by a child and adolescent psychiatrist may be necessary.
A range of treatments is available for sleep disorders.
Sleep wake reversal may occur
in some teens and may cause problems with daily life. Sleep can
also be disturbed by mood disorders, PTSD, substance abuse, ADHD,
and anxiety.
Fortunately, as they mature,
children usually get over common sleep problems as well as the
more serious sleep disorders (parasomnias). However, parents
with ongoing concerns should contact their pediatrician or directly
seek consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
For additional information see
Facts for Families:
#7 Children Who
Won't Go to School
#18 Bedwetting
# 52 Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
#66 Helping Teenagers with Stress
#70 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
#4 The Depressed Child
See Also: Your Child (1998 Harper Collins) / Your Adolescent
(1999 Harper Collins). |
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