According to the National Association of School Psychologists, about 30 percent of children will have a sleeping disorder. Sleep disturbances can cause children to be irritable, have difficulty concentrating in school, be hyperactive and have mood swings. If you suspect your child has a sleep disorder, see your pediatrician as soon as possible to make it easier for your child to get back into a proper sleeping routine.
Sleep Cycles
There are two types of sleep cycles: non-rapid eye movement, or NREM, and rapid eye movement, or REM. There are several stages of NREM that vary from light sleep to deep sleep. REM is a lighter sleep than NREM and is also when dreaming occurs.
Types of Sleep Disorders
Types of sleep disorders include night terrors, bedwetting, sleep walking, sleep-onset anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea, delayed sleep-phase syndrome and narcolepsy. See your pediatrician or a doctor that specializes in sleeping disorders to determine the exact cause of your child's disorder.
Amount of Sleep Required
According to the National Sleep Foundation, newborns age 1 to 2 months typically sleep on and off for about 10.5 to 18 hours a day. The duration of sleep may vary from several minutes to a few hours. Infants, age 3 to 11 months, should sleep 9 to 12 hours at night and take a nap one to four times a day for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Toddlers, age 1 to 3 years, should sleep 12 to 14 hours. Naps should be 1 to 3 hours long by the time your child is 18 months old, and should only be once a day. Children 3 to 5 years of age need 11 to 13 hours of sleep. Naps are not needed after your child is five years old. Children age 5 to 12 should get 10 to 11 hours. The amount of sleep required by teenagers drops slightly, to about 9 to 10 hours.
How to Tell if Your Child is Sleep Deprived
The University of Michigan Health System notes that the amount of sleep that each child needs will vary from child to child. However, if you find that your child is having a difficult time staying awake during the day, falls asleep while you drive him in the car, falls asleep before his normal bedtime, has to be woken up by you in the morning, is irritable, is cranky or has difficulty concentrating at school, he may be sleep deprived.
Expert Insight
The University of Michigan Health System recommends that you do several things to encourage good sleeping habits. Try to use a routine every night before your child goes to bed and keep it simple, such as reading a story, singing a song or cuddling; determine the most appropriate bedtime for your child by noting when she appears tired in the evening, and try to put her to bed before this time; stick to a routine every day by waking your child up, feeding her meals, napping and playing all at the same times every day; use a relaxing sound such as a fan, soft music or vaporizer to help your child to fall asleep; and make sure that your child gets out of the house and gets plenty of exercise.
