Insomnia in ChildrenInsomnia in children is a common occurrence and can occur at any age. Like adults children with insomnia have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep or are not well rested after a normal amount of sleeping. Unlike adults not getting a good night’s sleep can affect your child’s mood and behavior during the day creating school and discipline problems. Also be aware that children unlike adults seem to get energized from lack of sleep. It is not unusual to see children who are exhausted with exuberant energy, moving about almost frantically.
Symptoms of Insomnia in ChildrenSome of the symptoms of insomnia in children are the following:
Common Causes of Insomnia in ChildrenChildren between the ages of 6 and 12 need about 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. Teens need about 9 hours each night. On the average it takes approximately 40 minutes to fall asleep once your child is in bed. If you set realistic bedtimes for your child and he/she is still not getting a good night’s sleep some of the other things you can look at are: Lifestyle factors of diet and exercise
Two Classifications of Child InsomniaAcute Insomnia(short term, transient) evidenced by a child not sleeping up to two nights for a couple of weeks.
Treating Insomnia in ChildrenIf your child’s insomnia is chronic look first at their lifestyle. If your child spends long hours looking at the TV, listening to music or playing video games this could be affecting the nerves which will effect your child’s sleeping patterns. If this type of entertainment is a major part of your child’s leisure activity and you think it could be affecting their sleeping ability start slowly and gradually to change their habits. Introduce other activities like exercise or watching a somber quiet movie without extreme behavior or violence instead of long hours of TV. Spend time with your child playing a game, reading a book or doing a craft activity right before bedtime. Spending extra time and encouraging your child to increase good habits will not only help decrease their insomnia but also increase their self-esteem. Putting these activities in place 1 to 2 hours before bedtime will help your child to change to a slower gear, creating a calmer physiological and psychological state of being enhancing their ability to fight off their insomnia.Non-medicated treatments for child insomnia:Having a very consistent schedule of bedtime and wake up time
Child insomnia can lead to major health conditions so seeking help for your child’s chronic insomnia should be taken seriously. Take your child to your pediatrician to discover if your child’s insomnia is a medical condition. If this is not the problem seeking the help of a mental health counselor or child’s psychiatrist is important. If you think your child is suffering from child insomnia or could benefit from counseling services please call 708-224-8528 for a free phone consultation or see services for more information If you would like contact me by email for any reason be assured I will respond within 24 hours. Return from insomnia in children to parent support return from insomnia in children to home page
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