Restless nights cause a lack of sleep in the child. This is bad for the child’s personal development and performance at school. Poor sleep can of course be caused by various reasons and as a parent (and teacher) you should also pay attention to this. What are the causes of sleep problems in children and what can you do to give the child a better night’s sleep?

Sleeping problems child

• Good sleep is necessary
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Nightmares and sleep problems child
• Snoring children and sleep apnea
• An accident in bed
• Walking around at night

Good sleep is necessary

A good night’s sleep for everyone consists of two four-hour stretches, during which the body falls into deep sleep and then gradually wakes up again. Children usually need about ten hours of sleep, but for some children this is very difficult. Nearly half of all children have difficulty falling asleep and do not get the necessary ten hours of sleep. If you, as a parent, notice that your child looks tired and restless, then it is time to talk about it. It is necessary for the child’s development to get enough sleep. Are they nightmares, does the child often have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night or does the child snore? Plenty of reasons why the child cannot sleep. Whatever the reason, it is time to act. If the child does not get enough sleep, he or she will not be able to concentrate properly at school. What can you do if the child has sleeping problems?

Difficulty falling asleep

All aspects of life that can keep the child busy during the day can also keep the child awake at night. The child’s thoughts can be much too busy and therefore the child does not fall asleep. If you are tossing and turning and sleeping poorly, it is difficult to get up again in the morning. As a result, the child may be tired, react like a grouch and simply feel bad. A bad start to the day. What can you do?:

• start a sleep schedule. The child should go to bed at the same time every night. Turn off the television and laptop an hour before going to sleep. The child should relax by, for example, reading a book or taking a nice bath. After a long warm bath, snuggling under the warm blankets ensures that the child is quickly in dreamland;
• make sure the child has a comfortable place to sleep where it is also quiet. Preferably close the door to prevent noises and let the child wear cozy sleeping clothes;
• taking certain foods just before going to sleep;
• ask the child if there are any problems. Question: “What do you think about every night”? One idea is for the child to keep their own diary so that their thoughts are written down.

Nightmares and sleep problems child

Having nightmares can cause the child to wake up in the middle of the night during deep sleep. That is often a shocking experience, which makes the heart beat extra fast. Adrenaline rushes through the body and the child is afraid. Sleeping then becomes difficult. Why do children have nightmares? It just depends on what the children see and do during the day. The television and computer games are about murder and destruction and can have a bad influence on the child’s mind. Make sure you know what the child sees and does so that negative influences are avoided. Before going to sleep, it is important that the child relaxes and is not sent straight to bed from the television. Also inquire whether there may be problems at school, such as intimidation or structural bullying.

Snoring children and sleep apnea

Both parents and children can snore during sleep. The child may have sleep apnea. This is the condition where breathing stops for a moment. The brain then wakes up slightly to control breathing again. The child is therefore in light sleep and does not fall into deep sleep. So a good night’s sleep is not forthcoming. Overweight children are more likely to develop sleep apnea. Can this condition be corrected? The child must stay in the hospital overnight so that breathing can be monitored. The following steps to take may apply:

• if it is sleep apnea, the child may be given a breathing machine at night;
• advice regarding weight, losing weight and eating healthy food is important;
• the tonsils and tonsils may need to be removed.

An accident in bed

Millions of children sometimes have accidents and wet the bed. As a parent, don’t get angry and simply change the bed. But what can be done about bedwetting?:

• let the child urinate before the child goes to bed;
• an accident always happens at a certain time, make sure that the child is woken up at that time so that the toilet can be used;
• do not let the child drink anything several hours before the child has to go to bed;
• talk to the child about the problem. Talking also helps the child to relax and feel better.

Walking around at night

It happens to every child sometimes: sleepwalking. You want to go to bed and the child is running around upstairs. Possibly a dangerous situation. Make sure you stay calm with a sleepwalking child. The child is in deep sleep and should preferably not be woken. Carefully guide the child to its own bed. What else can you do if sleepwalking occurs frequently?:

• let the child sleep on the ground floor. This increases the safety of the sleepwalking child. Make sure windows and doors are closed;
• Check with your GP about what is going on. Sleepwalking can be a deep-seated problem.

read more

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• How can sleep apnea syndrome be treated?
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