Children are precious little creatures that are even more precious while they are sleeping. So, when they are not getting the sleep they need, it can be a different story. Infants, toddlers, and middle-aged children need sleep in order to be able to achieve their learning potentials and have the energy that normal children their ages should have during the day.
Signs of Sleeping Problems
- Your child is still tired in the morning after getting out of bed
- Your child falls asleep during cars rides
- He/she takes extra naps or lengths of his/her naps are extended
- May be overly tired and staying up later than usual
- Eating habits change (assuming they aren't growing or going through an eating phase)
- Your child wakes many times during the night
What To Do:
If you notice your child may be having sleeping problems, check with their doctor and give them all the details about the situation.
Check on your child at night. Your child may be having breathing problems. Night terrors are also common in children and may cause them to lose sleep, or decrease the quality of sleep they are getting.
Practice quiet time at night before they go to bed. Children that are hyped up before bedtime tend to have a harder time falling asleep. It is the same concept with adults that lead busy lives who need to unwind before entering their "sleep mode". Taking baths, reading stories, and giving massages can help to calm your children down after a long day of excitement. Staying away from treats and sugars at least a couple hours before bedtime is a good idea also.
Your children may not know how much you have helped them, but it will surely show through their energy, attitudes, and schoolwork.
Find out more about common sleep disorders at http://www.tipsforsleeping.com/16/common-sleep-disorders/. |
By Pat Gustafson
