Insomnia & sleep disorders

The Problem Of Insomnia In Children

January 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

The Problem Of Insomnia In Children

While insomnia prevails among a notable proportion of adults, children too suffer from sleep disorders. Insomnia in children is characterized by signs of wakefulness or restlessness daily at night, irritability or heaviness on waking from sleep, mood swings, lack of concentration, and unusual difficulty with remembering.

Causes Of Insomnia In Children

In children, the causes of insomnia are generally more easy to work out that in grown ups. If your child suffers from any of the symptoms listed above, look for any one or more of these causes that usually cause insomnia in children: stress, diet, anxiety, fear, physical problems (constipation, pain etc.), and disturbed routine (watching TV late in the night, over use of computer, video games etc.)

Anxiety And Stress

The child may be facing various stressful situations at home, with friends, or at the school and the resulting anxiety may prey upon his sleep. The best way of tracing the cause of the child’s anxiety is to let him/her vent it out in conversation. One cause of anxiety noted in children is the apprehension of a coming baby. In such cases, daily reassuring and affectionate treatment should be given to the child to let him feel safe about his importance in the family and help him sleep well.

Fear Of Sleeplessness

Sometimes the fear of not getting sleep itself becomes a cause of insomnia in children. The child fears that his sleepless condition may let him down in school or at home. This happens especially in cases where children are living in demanding situations. Do not stress your child a million times daily for optimum performance. This will help him/her sleep well.

Stomach Problems

Digestion problems like constipation or an upset tummy are frequently the cause of insomnia in children. While many children are able to share this problem, some may not be able to do so readily. To prevent this problem, watch over the diet your child takes. Do not allow him excess intake of sugary foods or eating late in the night, just before he goes to sleep. Encourage him/her to take more water and fresh fruit juice instead of canned sugary juices or sweets.

Pain

Insomnia in children can also result from fibromyalgia, or muscle cramps after a hard sport session. Prevent the child from over exertion and in case the pain lasts long, take him/her to a pediatrician.

Disturbed Routine

Some common disturbances in normal sleep routine can lead to sleeplessness in children. An increasing cause of these is watching TV or using computers late in the night. Light emitted from the screens of TV and computer monitors interfere with sleep after their use.