According to the National Sleep Foundation, children spend 40 percent of their childhood sleeping. Important cognitive and physical development occurs during sleep, but sleeping issues can disrupt this important development time. Sleeping issues vary according to a child's age, but by providing healthy and safe sleeping habits, parents and caregivers can reduce the occurrence of sleep issues.
Common Sleep Issues
Common sleep problems with children include night waking, difficulty falling asleep, bedwetting and waking too early. These disorders are more prevalent during certain ages and parents can take steps to prevent them, providing a restful night of sleep for their child and establishing healthy sleep habits. Children usually grow out of these conditions on their own, but parents should consult their child's doctor about any concerns.
Rare Sleeping Issues
Sleepwalking and sleep terrors are relatively rare sleep disorders. Night terrors, a state of fright and confusion during the night, and sleep apnea, which occurs when a person stops breathing during deep sleep, are rare disorders as well. These conditions typically run in the family and require treatment from a doctor or psychiatrist. They are usually more common in older children undergoing stress or severe behavioral changes.
Causes
Newborns may experience sleep issues due to being unable to fall asleep on their own. They grow accustomed to having a parent or caregiver rock them to sleep and, as a result they have difficultly settling down themselves. Emotional difficulties, stress and separation anxiety are contributing factors as well. Whenever a child is experiencing a major change or associating bedtime with separation, sleep disruption is possible.
Age Factors
Difficulty falling asleep and night waking are especially common in newborns, since their sleep cycles are still developing. As newborns grow into independent and active toddlers, new active abilities and separation anxiety can cause issues with sleeping. Preschoolers experience sleep issues associated with being active as well, and their developing imagination contributes to more frequent nightmares. School-age children can experience sleep issues due to stress from homework and extracurricular activities, and their growing interest in television and computers can contribute to difficulties falling or staying asleep.
Prevention
Parents should establish consistent and calming bedtime routines to signal to the child that it is time to sleep. This can include a bath, lullaby or book. Newborns should be placed in cribs while they are drowsy and showing signs of sleepiness, such as rubbing of the eyes, and allowed to learn to fall asleep on their own. The sleep environment should be calm and free from electronics for children of all ages. Older children can be taught the importance of healthy sleeping habits.
