Childhood Sleep Disorders

Childhood sleep disorders may be more prevalent than many parents think. Everything from anxiety to too much caffeine or spicy food to allergies and other health disorders can keep your child from obtaining the right amount of quality sleep. If your child suffers from sleep deprivation, your child's health also suffers. Are you doing all you can to make sure your child gets a good night's sleep?

Sleep Deprivation
Discovering the cause of your child's sleep deprivation isn't always easy. But there are certain steps you, as the parent, can take to help ensure your child receives quality sleep each night.

• Temperature. Make sure your child's bedroom is cool. Turning the temperature down is not necessary, unless the room is excessively hot. A thinner, lightweight blanket might be a better idea than a heavy or warmer blanket.
• Quiet. Reducing the noise level is one way to ensure quiet in a child's room, but since it is impossible to eliminate all noise, do not tiptoe around your child during naptime. If you tiptoe around a baby when he first comes home from the hospital, he will learn to sleep only during absolute quiet. Every noise you make or the ringing of the phone will automatically wake him. Run the vacuum and use a normal inside voice on the phone or to speak with other members of the family while your baby is asleep.
• Darkness. Keep light at a minimum. If you must use a nightlight, a better place than your child's room might be the hallway, just outside of your child's room. If you live in a very well-lit area, such as an apartment complex or in the city, make sure you have shades or curtains that can be pulled across windows during naptime and at night.
• Overstimulation. Don't allow too much stimulation in the last couple hours before bedtime. Scary movies, rough and tumble games, anxiety and over-exertion all can take a toll on your child's sleeping patterns.
• Caffeine. Limit the amount of caffeine your child consumes. While any intake of caffeine should be monitored, it is essential that children do not drink any caffeinated beverages in the afternoon or evening hours. To prevent bedwetting, it is strongly suggested that kids don't have any liquids in the last couple of hours before bedtime.

Sleep Cycles
Keep in mind that while every child may have a specific bedtime routine, most children require about the same amount of sleep. Newborns generally sleep about 16 hours in a 24-hour period, but wake up (or should be woken up) every three to four hours for a feeding.

As babies get older, the amount of sleep they need starts to drop. At about the age of 6 to 12 months, most children nap for 3 or 4 hours a day and sleep about 12 hours at night. Talk to your physician to find out how much sleep your baby should get.

Toddlers and preschoolers still nap for about 2 1/2 hours each day and sleep about 12 to 13 hours at night.

Between the ages of six and nine, your child will require less sleep. At this age, 10 to 11 hours of sleep each day will probably be sufficient. Children ages 10 to 12 usually sleep about 9 hours a day.

If you find your child is not getting the required amount of sleep, put together a bedtime routine that helps your child unwind and relax. Try to turn off the TV an hour before bedtime and create a consistent series of steps, such as changing into pajamas, brushing teeth, and getting tucked in to bed, that signal the end of the day. A bedtime story or soothing music can help your child get to sleep as well.

Common Sleep Disorders

• Behavioral problems, such as drinking too much fluid before bedtime, often causes bedwetting and may cause nightmares. Candy and caffeine are stimulants that can leave the body too wired to sleep. Change the habit and don't allow liquids, candy and caffeine within two hours of bedtime.
• Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where a person stops breathing during sleep and wakes up. It can be caused by obesity, large tonsils and adenoids, allergies or asthma. Snoring may be a symptom of sleep apnea. Have your child evaluated by a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment options. 
• Sleepwalking occurs when a child begins to talk or walk while asleep. There's no recognized cause for sleepwalking, but exhaustion and anxiety may play a role. In most cases, the solution is to make sure your child is getting enough sleep and to install toddler gates or bed rails to prevent accidental injuries during sleepwalking.
• Night terrors may share symptoms with sleepwalking. This disorder is common in young children and causes the child to sit upright in bed, acting as if she is awake when in reality she's asleep. During a night terror, don't try to wake your child. Kids will wake up on their own, usually with no memory of the event. Sleep apnea and exhaustion are possible causes, although the exact cause is unknown. Most kids outgtrow night terrors by the age of six.
• Nightmares are bad dreams. No one really knows what causes them, and everyone has them. Most children have nightmares where they are lost or abandoned or that involve a monster is chasing them-all common fears that children may experience in their minds while awake.
• Bedwetting affects millions of children between kindergarten and second grade. There is a strong suggestion that bedwetting may be hereditary. Bedwetting is an involuntary response to a need to urinate. Most children outgrow this problem by the time they reach the age of 10. Because bedwetting can cause social fears in your child, it's important that you speak with your physician about it. Bring your child so he knows that he is not alone. Use a rubber sheet on his mattress and have extra sheets at the ready. Do not allow siblings or other family members to tease your child. Limiting drinks before bedtime may help the problem. You may also want to wake your child for a potty break just before you go to bed.