How to Prevent Insomnia in Children?

How to Prevent Insomnia in Children?

How to Prevent Insomnia in Children?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder where a person has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night. This is not only restricted to adults but can happen to children as well. There are different causes of insomnia and knowing these causes will let you know how to prevent insomnia in children by eliminating them.

Just like adults, children also experience stress. This may come from situations at home, in school or outside the house. A tense atmosphere at home where adults openly argue in front of children is one of the major causes of stress for children. Sometimes they might not understand what is happening but they know that it is not good. Another stress factor from the home is a sudden major life change like moving to a new home, parents divorcing or changing jobs.

Children may also be victims of bullying by other children, teens or even adults in the neighborhood. Classmates or older students may also bully them at school. Teachers may also be a stress factor by being too strict or pushing the students too hard to excel in their school performance. Maintaining open communication line between parents and children can prevent this. This way, the child will not have any misgivings in telling the parent what is troubling him.

Use of stimulants is another cause of insomnia. The most common of which is caffeine, which can be found in carbonated and energy drinks. In order to prevent difficulty in sleeping do not let the child have any caffeinated food or beverages four to six hours before bedtime.

Some maintenance medicine can have insomnia as a side effect. Drugs like corticosteroids, drugs for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anticonvulsants may cause insomnia. The parent can ask the pediatrician the best way to administering these drugs without difficulty, or to change the medication to one with less side effects.

There are also medical conditions that can cause sleep disorder like nocturnal asthma, allergies causing stuffy nose or itchy skin disorders. Other diseases like fibromyalgia, muscle cramps, heartburn and growing pains also cause sleep disturbance. Apart from these, psychiatric aberrations like depression, as well as neurodevelopmental abnormalities such as autism and mental retardation can make the child prone to insomnia. The parent can have these diseases treated by a specialist or pediatrician.

The child's sleeping area placea big role in his ability to have a good night's sleep. The bed should be comfortable and the lights are low or out at bedtime to make the room conducive for sleeping. Place stimulating objects such as toys far from the bed so that the child is not distracted and will focus on falling asleep.

Here are some tips on how to prevent insomnia in children: get the child used to good sleeping habits by restricting the use of the bed for sleeping. That way the bed will be associated with sleep rather than playing or reading. Teach your child simple relaxation techniques like imagining doing something pleasant and restful. Keep clocks out of sight so that the child will not be conscious of the time. Get out of bed instead of tossing and turning and do something that can make the child sleepy like reading a book. If all else fail, consult a behavioral specialist for help.

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