Sleep Problems Children
Thursday, July 15th, 2010Sleep Problems Children
It may come as a huge surprise to recognize that children have a not inconsiderable amount of trouble sleeping that can impact how well a youngster sleeps, and how much benefit they receive out of the sleep they do get. It is reported that an average of 30 percent of children have what are thought of as clinical sleep disorders throughout their childhood.
These disorders include everything from sleep walking to night terrors and possibly even more severe problems like sleep apnea and other serious respiratory conditions. Many people may not be aware of the fact that children during their school aged years need to get between nine and twelve hours sleep but surprisingly, a lot of kids don’t get close to that.
Other sleep problems in kids such as wetting the bet, teeth grinding, sleep walking, as well as rolling or banging their heads are all thought to be serious sleep problems if they happen while sleeping. The usual of these are nightmares and night terrors as well as sleep walking, but they are generally considered harmless.
Sleepwalking does require some work to be done by parents to put up safety measures with regards to this sleep disorder so it doesn’t get the child hurt. This takes some work to ensure the house is free of dangers. Most children outgrow any harmful sleep troubles sometime before they enter their young adult years.
A primary care physician can give advice in any case of nightmares, head banging, teeth grinding, bedwetting and more severe problems such as sleep apnea. These symptoms could be signs of worse problems if they continue to happen beyond the recommended age. Fortunately, the majority of these conditions have an age limit at which most kids will completely grow out of them.
You may also want to look for symptoms of children sleep disorders if their concentration in class is lacking, or they cannot stay awake. There may be times when they doze off in the middle of conversations, when traveling, or while reading or in class. Don’t doubt these as indications that your child is having difficulty sleeping in the evenings. For sleep apnea consider the following symptoms, chronic mouth breathing, and problems regarding staying awake for class.
There is one good thing with regards to these types of sleep disorders, that they just so happen to be the simplest to cure and mostly can be due to a simpler malady. Don’t worry unless your child shows signs that are dangerous for them so know for the most part that children will outgrow the majority of these disorders given time. However, if you are still having concerns then talking to your doctor will keep you informed about the actions you can try in the home in order to put your child on the right track.
You must consider that in children with troubled sleep there are psychological considerations that will influence how well your child sleeps. It’s possible you could get a referral to speak with a licensed mental health professional to make sure things like ADHD aren’t at play.