Insomnia In Children: How To Help Them Sleep Better
Insomnia in children is a frequent reason for consulting the pediatrician, despite the general perception that children always sleep well and a lot. It is estimated that between 25 and 50% of those under 5 years of age have had problems falling asleep for more than 3 months.
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of life. It allows us to face daily activities, but it is also essential to maintain a healthy physical and mental state.
The problem is that sleep habits must be instilled from the first moment of life. Insomnia in children has many repercussions on their development and throughout adult life. Therefore, in this article we explain everything you need to know and how we can help you improve your sleep.
What is insomnia in children?
Insomnia in children, as in adults, consists of the difficulty of achieving sleep. It can also be made up of frequent awakenings during the course of a night. In fact, it is normal for both situations to take place.
Medicine defines insomnia as the difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep at least 3 times a week, throughout a month. This is important to note because not getting a good night’s sleep for one or two should not be considered insomnia.
Sleep can be affected by many factors in daily life. The causes of insomnia in children can be environmental, psychological or medical. For example, it could be a reflection of a conflict within the family or a sign of child abuse.
However, almost 70% of cases of insomnia in children are due to bedtime habits that are not correct. As we said before, having adequate sleep hygiene from the first moment of life is basic for the rest of the stages.
What other sleep problems are there?
Insomnia in children is one of the most common sleep problems, but it is not the only one. In fact, they often tend to be associated with others. For example, it is common for insomnia to be related to a child’s fear of sleeping alone.
Another category of disorders are parasomnias. They are phenomena that appear during sleep, once the child has already managed to fall asleep. Here we find nightmares, night terrors, sleep apnea and enuresis, among others.
Night terrors appear in the first part of sleep, within a few hours of being asleep. They consist of the child suffering from intense and uncontrollable fear. At this time, the little one does not control his movements nor can he regain consciousness.
The main difference from nightmares is that night terrors are rarely remembered upon waking. Nightmares, on the other hand, do tend to leave a negative memory and, in addition, they occur during the REM phase of sleep.
Sleep apnea is also a disorder that stands out in childhood because it scares parents. The child stops breathing for about 10 seconds while sleeping. This disorder is associated with others that follow, during the day, since the child does not rest well and suffers the consequences in his studies, for example.
What symptoms does insomnia produce in children?
Detecting insomnia in children can often be difficult for parents and pediatricians. It is important to pay attention to your attitude when it comes to going to bed, because at that moment you may find yourself nervous or reluctant to go to bed.
In addition, during the day the child often appears tired or is not active. During the night, the infant will try to find entertainment to delay the moment of sleep as such. This may be a request to read another story or go to the bathroom frequently.
Sometimes they only seek the company of their parents or an adult relative. Something similar happens with nightmares, and it is explained by fear or terror of loneliness and darkness. In the case of the little ones, they may cry for hours.
How to avoid insomnia in children
Insomnia in children requires parents to create a series of healthy habits and behaviors to solve it. Despite the fact that many choose drugs as a solution to the problem, in the case of children they are not usually of great help.
There are a series of measures that, according to different studies, help to create good sleep hygiene. First of all, it is recommended not to sleep next to the child. That is, not being present just at the moment when you reach the dream.
In this way, the infant is prevented from associating sleep with a presence. In addition, some approach guides recommend gradual extinction. This consists of putting the children in bed and entering the room at night. More and more time must pass between one visit and another.
What we must bear in mind is that it is possible to consult a pediatrician. The specialist could make specific recommendations for each case and help us develop a useful routine.
