Insomnia is a condition where your child has trouble sleeping, usually between 9 and 15 hours depending on their age.
Yes, children can get insomnia just like adults.
This can be particularly dangerous for children, as sleep is essential to their developing bodies and minds. If your child displays any of the symptoms listed below, you should immediately take action.
You can often solve the problem by changing their routine or sleeping environment. Sometimes, a trip to the pediatrician is necessary to determine if you need to see a sleep specialist.
How Long Should Children Sleep?
Children need to sleep longer than adults. Children’s bodies are still developing and they need to sleep well.
Below is a list of the typical sleep times for each age. These are the guidelines of experts, but it is normal for children to need more or less sleep by around an hour.
Children younger than one year old: 12-15 hours
Children aged 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
Kindergarten (3- 5 years old) 10-13 hours
Primary school children (6-13 years old) 9-11 hours
Teenagers (14-17 Years) 8-10 Hours
Young adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
How Do You Spot Insomnia?
These are not the only symptoms to watch out for.
- Irritability
- Attention span decreases
- Mood swings
- School behavior problems
- Nighttime hyperactivity
- Anxiety about going back to bed
- Depressive episodes
- Extremely aggressive behavior
- Memory loss is worsening
Possible Causes Of Insomnia
Behavior Factors
Experts refer to Behavioral Insomnia as poor sleeping habits or practices.
The child may have the chance to go to sleep, but they act in a way that makes falling asleep difficult or making it hard to stay asleep.
Your child may be at bedtime at 9pm but they play video games instead and stay up past bedtime.
There are two types.
Association for Sleep-onsetThis is a common problem in younger children. It occurs when a child associates sleeping with an item, an act, or a sequence of events and requires them to occur before they can fall asleep.
Some children, for example, need to be rocked before they go to bed or must fall asleep in their parent’s bed.
These sleep onset disorders are often caused by the influence of caregivers who are well-meaning.
Sleep onset disorders in older children are often due to video games, laptops, and tv.
These devices can keep kids awake for longer periods of time than normal because they are so stimulating. These devices can also disrupt their circadian rhythms, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Limit-settingWhen a child insists that they stay up past their bedtime, it is called limit setting. They want to hear more stories, be embraced, have water, or go to the toilet.
They may also choose to ignore their parents and refuse sleep.
Parents don’t enforce bedtime rules, which can lead to this type of problem. Children are allowed to go to sleep at different times every night, which disrupts their circadian rhythm.
Stress
Yes, even children can get stressed. While they might not have to pay bills, there are other factors that can impact their mood and mental health.
Stress can come from things at school, such as bullying or death of a family member. Bullying, or a difficult home situation such as a divorce or death can cause stress.
Talking to children is crucial and can encourage them to share their feelings about any issues that affect them.
Medication, Sickness And Sleep Disorders
ADHD medications, for example, contain stimulants that can keep children awake. You can check the medicine cupboard to see if your child isn’t falling asleep.
Ask your doctor if they can give you an alternative to the medication that is causing them to have trouble sleeping.
They may also have a cold or another illness that prevents them from sleeping well.
You could also have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea. If you suspect that your child may have a sleep disorder, you should consult a doctor.
The Sleeping Environment
Sometimes they just aren’t comfortable.
Perhaps the room is too hot, too cold or too noisy.
Also, check the mattress. It is time to replace your mattress online if it is old and worn. Check out our reviews to discover the best online mattresses.
Treatment And Prevention Of Childhood Insomnia
You can manage insomnia by making small lifestyle changes to the child’s bedtime routine. To be effective, most of them need consistency.
Treatment Of Sleep Onset Insomnia
Caregivers must replace or change any habits that interfere with sleep for their child. This can be done by changing the bedtime routine.
Instead of cuddling or rocking every day, you can mix it up and cuddle one day and read a story the next.
There are several methods that can be used to help children who cannot fall asleep without their parents.
One is the absence of the parent when the child goes to sleep or wakes up in the morning. They will eventually be able to soothe themselves to sleep.
Alternately, you can let your child cry longer before intervening. You can increase the time it takes to reach them so they eventually fall asleep on their terms.
Treatment Of Insomnia With Limit Setting
It’s all about following strict bedtime rules.
After a set time, no screens or gadgets and no stimuli. Establish a routine for your bedtime that you can stick to.
Also, ensure that your sleeping environment is comfortable: cool, but not too warm, comfortable bedding, quiet space, and no bright lights.
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