SLEEP PROBLEMS

Sleep problems are of two types. One is related to the child – for example, if the wakes up repeatedly for no obvious reason. The second is when parents perceive it as a problem, such as if the child wakes up when the parents are tired and sleepy. Sleep disturbances are fairly common in children for various reasons: the physiology of sleep in children is different from that of adults, parents may misjudge the child’s sleep requirements or the environment could be disturbing. Some children cannot sleep after caffeinated drinks, when the lights are on, or if parents play with and talk to him whenever he wakes up in the night. In some infants, sleep cycles get established late. Sleep-related breathing disorders may be due to obstruction of the air passage or due to asthma.

Babies wake up when they are cold, hot, wet or hungry. A child who enjoys a sense of security sleeps well, eats and wakes up smiling and kicking. Some children may not adapt to sleeping in a room separate from their parents, but may later opt to sleep by themselves. All children have nightmares and sometimes wake up with a shriek. If this happens very often you should check if there is some thing disturbing the child. Have you started sending him to crèche or a nursery, is there a new servant or a guest, have you made any change in the house like putting up a new picture or getting rid of a similar bedsheet? Whatever the cause, hold the child close, pat him, ands reassure him of your love. Nightmares in school – going children may be due to several reasons: punitive teachers, threatening bullies, scary stories, television scenes or even a real death or accident in the neighborhood. That is why older children sometimes ask to sleep in their parents’ room, and they should be allowed to do so until the fear subsides.