Does your child have trouble sleeping? Does your little one have difficulty falling or staying asleep more than three times a week? It could be insomnia or another type of sleep disorder. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. This results in non-restorative sleep which negatively impacts the health and quality of life for your child.
Signs of to watch out for:
- Waking up during the night
- Difficulty falling back asleep once awake
- Bedtime refusal and struggles going to bed
- Excessive drowsiness or grogginess during the day
- Behavioral issues
- Unusual events such as sleepwalking or nightmares
- Waking up extremely early
Many children experience difficulty falling or staying asleep and do not get the recommended 9 hours or more. The difficulty in sleeping can stem from daytime habits and bedtime routine. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is extremely important.
Tips to help your child sleep:
- Avoid sugar and caffeine during the day
- Do not watch TV or use electronics two hours before bed
- Make sure their bed is only for sleep
- Keep the sleep schedule the same even on the weekends
- Do not go to bed hungry
- Exercise daily
- Provide a darkroom for sleeping with cool temperatures
- Limit time of naps
- Develop routines like reading books before bed
- Provide a white noise sound machine if noise is an issue
Children who experience insufficient sleep have a weaker immune function, poor overall health, daytime fatigue, mood disturbances, and emotional issues. Your child’s routines directly affect their quality of sleep. Creating a healthy daily and nighttime routine can help your child develop healthy sleep habits and improve insomnia.
If you have implemented a healthy routine and sleep is still a problem, there might be another issue. If your child suffers from ongoing sleep disturbances, it is important to get the correct diagnosis. North Suffolk Neurology specializes in sleep medicine and can help you and your loved ones get a comprehensive sleep evaluation.
North Suffolk Neurology is a full-service Neurology, Headache Medicine, and Sleep Medicine practice committed to helping our patients and their families maintain and improve their health. Call us at (631) 364-9119.
