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Sleep Disturbances in Children

Sep 2, 2011 | By Jim Orrill
Sleep Disturbances in Children
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In her 2004 article, “Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents,” Peg Dawson, EdD, indicates that health professionals estimate 30 percent of children suffer acute or chronic sleep disturbances. While the necessary amount of sleep varies among individual children, the University of Michigan Health System notes that well-rested children readily awaken and remain alert throughout the day. If your child experiences a sleep disorder, it’s essential to address the problem, as chronically sleep-deprived children tend to perform poorly academically and exhibit behavioral problems.

Frequent Waking

The University of Michigan notes that frequent waking by an infant shouldn’t concern parents, as babies sleep lightly through the night, and intermittent rousing is normal. However, toddlers who were delivered prematurely or live in a household where the family is experiencing significant stress may experience abnormal intermittent wakefulness. Separation anxiety can also cause frequent waking in a toddler, as her distress over a parent's absence inhibits an unbroken night’s sleep.

Nocturnal Enuresis

Dawson indicates that there are two fundamental types of nocturnal enuresis, or bed-wetting. Primary enuresis is a condition in which a child is chronically unable to restrain her bladder during the night, which typically afflicts children in families with a history of the disorder. Secondary enuresis is intermittent bed-wetting after parents have toilet trained their child, a condition often brought on by stress or anxiety. Dawson reports that secondary enuresis typically abates once parents identify and remedy the child’s stressor. Additional bladder control training usually remedies primary enuresis, though physicians occasionally prescribe medication for persistent problems.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are a group of disorders which include night terrors, somnambulism and somniloquy. Night terrors tend to occur in children between the ages of 3 and 8. An afflicted child will become extremely distressed, often crying or screaming, but won’t fully waken. After the child wakes, she’ll have no memory of the episode. Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is most common in children aged 8 through 12, and typically abates entirely after a child reaches adolescence. The child may simply sit upright in bed with her eyes wide open or she may actually wander through her home. Children afflicted with somniloquy, or sleeptalking, mumble and mutter during slumber, and their speech is almost always unintelligible and incoherent.

Sleep Apnea

One to 3 percent of children suffer sleep apnea, and classic symptoms include snoring, breathing through the mouth and experiencing difficulty breathing. In her January 2001 article for “Am Fam Physician,” C. Carolyn Thiedke, M.D. noted that children afflicted with allergies often experience sleep apnea. Dawson reports that tonsils and adenoids frequently cause sleep apnea through obstructing a child’s airway and extraction often remedies the disorder.

Helping Your Child Sleep

Refrain from giving your child sugary snacks or caffeinated beverages before bedtime, and establish a set bedtime routine involving soothing activities, such as snuggling, reading a story or singing lullabyes. The University of Michigan recommends not cluttering your child’s bed with toys -- while a single stuffed animal or other comforting object is fine, an assortment of toys can easily turn into distractions, keeping your child awake. If your child has persistent problems falling asleep, using a fan or white noise generator may help by creating a drone that masks more distinctive and distracting noises in your home.

References

Article reviewed by RandyS Last updated on: Sep 2, 2011

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