Sleep Disorder in Children
By Dr. Mireya Alvear de Moreno
Pediatric Physician Children and Adolescents
Appointment Management and Telemedicine Enter Here
Many of the sleep disorders that children present are secondary responses to other problems. Although, generally, they are not serious or excessively worrisome, they are annoying and it is important to treat them properly and the sooner the better. This way, your little one will be able to rest better and will be more relieved. To treat such sleep disorders, you should consult with your pediatrician. We detail the most frequent ones so that you can identify your little one's problem properly:
He does not want to lie down. The child may not want to lie down. This is due to different reasons: fear of the dark, of not waking up again, of being alone. In this case, the child will try to prolong the time before going to bed to avoid the anguish caused by the separation of the parents. To try to avoid accentuating the problem, you must be firm when putting the child to bed.
He wakes up at midnight. If the little one often wakes up at midnight, you should try to pay attention to find out what it is: who is calling, what is asking, etc.
Nightmares. When the child has unpleasant dreams, he reacts with fear, crying, worrying, etc. The best thing you can do is wake him up and reassure him. If he explains the nightmare to you during the day, listen to him and try to calm him down.
Night terrors. They are stages of sleep in which the child finds it difficult to go from deep to superficial sleep. The child does not remember, so the best thing you can do is hug him and calm him until he returns to reality.
Somnambulism. It occurs when the little one, without waking up, gets out of bed and wanders around the house. It occurs when the mechanisms responsible for relaxation are too immature and do not act as they should. Sometimes it improves spontaneously and in other cases it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Insomnia. In some cases the child may have trouble falling asleep or waking up and not being able to go back to sleep. In this case, the circumstances surrounding the child should be studied and consulted with the specialist.
Hypersomnia It is the tendency to fall asleep during the day. You should consult with the specialist to find out what can cause it.