Baby Einstein Blog

Knowing the sleep problems that can occur to school-age children and the symptoms of sleep deprivation, it of course important to make getting a good night’s sleep a priority. Just as children needs food, they also need replenishing sleep. There are plenty of suggestions for making a good night’s sleep happen for the whole family, like…
• Move your child’s bedtime earlier. Children who go to sleep too late have difficulty falling asleep, wake up more during the night, and are more likely to sleepwalk and have sleep terrors. In fact, gradually moving your child’s bedtime 30 minutes earlier each night may eliminate terrors altogether. Watch during the evening for the time when your child slows down, then work toward getting her to bed before that time. If you wait too long, your child will catch a second wind and have difficulty falling asleep.
• Create a quiet and comfortable sleeping area. A room that is too hot, too cold, or even too cluttered can hamper good sleep.
• Be aware of the signs of sleep difficulties. When determining why a child is behaving a certain way or having a particular experience, parents often overlook the contribution of inadequate sleep.
• Do not hesitate to talk to your child’s pediatrician about sleep-related concerns, especially if your child regularly snores or has other symptoms of sleep apnea. Many sleep problems are easily treated.
• Avoid caffeine. Twenty-six percent of children between ages 3 to 10 drink at least one caffeinated drink a day. These children sleep over three hours a week less than children who do not drink caffeine.
• Remove the television from your child’s room. Children with televisions in their rooms go to sleep 20 minutes later and lose more than two hours a week of sleep. The television and computer should be turned off one full hour before bedtime. 
• Develop a calming bedtime ritual with your child. Thirty minutes before the lights-out, have your child dress for bed and then try reading together, sharing a devotion, and praying.
• Encourage physical activity and exercise during the day.
• Remember that light is related to the sleep-wake cycle. Dim the lights in the evening and brighten the room in the morning.
• Do not use bedtime as a punishment. If you want your child to easily go to sleep and sleep well, having her associate bedtime with punishment will not help.
• The process of falling asleep is learned. If you want your child to be able to go to sleep without your presence, complete your bedtime routine and then allow your child to fall asleep without you being in the room. You may need to move gradually toward this goal id your child has already become accustomed to you being in the room. Set fair rules and be consistent.
• Keep a sleep diary. Note wake-up time, bedtimes, issues settling in, and times waking up during the night. Doing so may identify patterns and better help you find solutions.

So, good night.. sleep tight.. Do not let the bed bugs bite! (:

Not all children experience sleep problems such as those in the previous post, but sleep deprivation is something frequent to school-age children. Although it is common for adults, it is likewise a significant factor in children’s lives. On average school-age children sleep 91/2 hours, while experts recommend 10 to 11 hours of sleep.

Some signs may indicate sleep deprivation, like those relating to mood and behavior. If you’re child is observed to be moody and irritable, it may be an indication of sleep deficiency. Also, with regard to behavior, if the child is seen to be hyperactive, there is probability that there is a lack of sleep in your child.

Other signs relating to mood include being easily upset or overly emotional. Having unexpected daytime naps, such as when riding in the car also shows that your child may be sleep deprived. During the morning, when he/she is difficult to wake up, probably the child had a difficult time sleeping thus shorter hours of sleep. But when there’s occasional falling asleep much earlier than regular bedtime, it may be a sign that the body is making up for the lack of sleep one had in previous days. If the child tends to be accident prone and likely to make mistakes, it can be a signal as well that there is lack of sleep. Other indications which affects the child considerably in school and even when relating to family members and friends shortened attention span, poor memory, and reduced concentration, problems adapting to new situations and difficulty playing independently.

Ever notice your child having sleepless nights, night wakings and nightmares? These are some of the most common sleeping problems for school-age children. But they also experience problems like the following:
 
Sleepwalking. As many as 40 percent of children walk or move about during sleep. Sleepwalking has a genetic factor with boys being more likely to sleepwalk than girls. Onset is generally between the ages of 3 to 7 with remission in the teenage years, but it may continue into adulthood. Sleepwalking often occurs one to two hours after going to sleep. The sleepwalking incident may last 5 to 20 minutes. The child is usually difficult to wake while sleepwalking, and she usually does not remember moving about.

Bruxism. Teeth-grinding often begins in childhood; a dentist will notice the damage to her teeth. When a child grinds her teeth, an unusually loud noise is produced. The child doe not remember grinding her teeth but may complain of a sore jaw in the morning. Stress is related to bruxism.

Sleep terrors. Sleep terrors are common in young children and are significantly different than a nightmare. A sleep terror is an abrupt episode that occurs during deep sleep in the first part of the night. The child screams out in distress and often flails her arms. Generally, children between the ages 4 and 8 experience sleep terrors. Restraining the child only causes her to fight back. Therefore, it is best to let the child get through the sleep terror in a safe place where she cannot hurt herself.

Snoring. Ten to twelve percent of all children snore. One to three percent of children with loud or regular snoring have a medical condition called sleep apnea. Apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing ranging from a few seconds to one minute long, as well as repeated arousals from sleep. Children with sleep apnea often have enlarged tonsils causing an airway obstruction. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include abnormal sleep positions, frequent headaches, regularly breathing through the mouth, and heavy sweating during sleep. Untreated apnea can cause daytime sleepiness, behavioral problems, school difficulties, and lead to other more serious problems.